Equestria Ninjas: A New Generation

Chapters

Maretime Bay
The Canterlogic Showcase
Unicorn comes to Town
Looking Out For You
Zephyr Heights and an Angry Mob
Hidden Secrets
Growing Friendships
Fit Right In
Bridlewood
The Magic of Friendship Restored
Epilogue
A New Generation
Royal Celebration Disaster
Raging War

Maretime Bay

One night in New York, years had passed and now Lita and her weasel sisters, Zink, Zanna, and Mushroom had grown into teenagers.

The four were in the dojo meditating, with Zanna every so often scratching the back of her head. Suddenly the four felt another presence with them. They opened their eyes to see Leonardo kneeling before them. Leo had aura surrounding him as he smiled.

“Hello, girls.”

“Sensei.” they gasped, as they flashed back to an incident a few years ago. An incident that led to the unfortunate demise of Leo, Donnie, and Raph.

“It's nice to see you again.” Lita smiled.

“And it's good to see you four as well. You've grown so much since I last saw you,” Leo said, before noticing the dismal looks on their faces, “Don't beat yourselves up. We did what we were trained to do, protect our family.”

“We know, sensei.” Zink sighed.

“But I just had to come to warn you all.” Leo began in a warning tone.

“Warn us? Of what?” Mushroom asked, as they were curious.

“The four of you must go to Equestria.”

“Equestria?!” they asked in surprise.

“Yes. I sense there is trouble there, and it requires the four of you to help make things right.”

“But what can we do?” Zanna asked.

“All I know is you must seek out Sunny Starscout in Maretime Bay.”

“Sunny Starscout?” Lita asked.

“Maretime Bay?” Zink asked, as Leo nodded.

“So what do we do once we find her?” Mushroom asked.

“Everything will reveal itself, my students. But you must have faith.” Leo told them.

The four girl mutants looked at each other curiously, until Lita spoke up, “Sensei, we'll do all we can.”

Leo smiled, “Good luck, girls. And remember, we're always watching over you.” Leo then vanished.

Lita stood up and turned to her sisters, “Girls, gather what you need.” The Weasel mutants nodded, as they all headed for their rooms to grab the essentials.

Aside from packing ninja stars and smoke bombs, each of them grabbed their own ninja weapons. Lita grabbed two Tanto Blades and two Tessen Fans, Zink grabbed her bo-staff with a bladed spear on the end, Mushroom had a Fuduke Blowgun with darts in a pouch, and Zanna had a Chikiri Mace.

They met up in the lab section of the lair that was brimming with technology only the Utrom could possess. Mushroom dusted off an old portal projector that was re-tuned and refurbished.

“I've been working on this for awhile now, and now's the time to use it.” Mushroom said.

The other three nodded in agreement, as Mushroom was putting in the coordinates on the device until...

“What're you four doing up?”

The four jumped as they saw standing in the doorway of the lab was Michelangelo who looked even older than the last time.

“Sensei Michelangelo!” they gasped.

“We were just uh...” Zanna trailed off.

“You're going to Equestria, aren't you?” Mikey guessed.

“How did you know?” Lita asked.

Mikey smirked, “You think Leo only talks to you?” the four looked sheepish, “I had a dream of Leo telling me you four would have a big mission ahead of you in Equestria. And I assume he finally relayed that message to you?”

“More or less.” Zink replied.

“Then it is indeed time.” Mikey nodded in agreement.

“Any word of advice before we go, sensei?” Lita asked.

“Be careful. Equestria may not be the way it was during my time, so be prepared for anything.”

“Yes, sir.” Zink nodded.

“And look out for one another, help each other, and always have your friends backs.” Mikey continued.

“What friends?” Mushroom asked, “We don't know anybody there yet.”

“Except for this pony we're supposed to find. Sunny Starscout.” Zanna recalled.

Mikey nodded, “Sunny will be but one friend I know you will make while you're there.”

“Who else is there?” Lita asked, as her weasel sisters looked just as curious.

Mikey smirked, “That's the beauty of discovery, girls. You never know what you'll find.”

“Ugh, cryptic.” Zink grumbled.

“Alright, girls. Coordinates are set,” Mushroom began, “Fingers crossed.” She activated the portal projector that opened a portal for them.

“Well, girls. This is it.” Lita told her sisters.

“Go with care, my girls,” Mikey began, “And return safely.”

“We will not let you down, sensei,” Lita turned to her sisters, “It's Ninja Time!”

“Yeah!” the weasel girls cheered, as they charged into the portal that closed behind them.

Mikey smiled as he thought of his brothers, “Leo, Donnie, Raph. They're ready to take the next step in their training.”

The portal reopened up atop a building roof, and the four mutant girls emerged from it before the portal closed.

“Everyone, ok?” Lita asked.

“I'm good.” Mushroom said.

“So am I.” Zink admitted.

“Uh, girls.” Zanna said.

“What is it?” Lita asked, as the three turned and saw Zanna had changed into an anthro pony creature.

“Zanna, look at you!” Zink gasped.

“Look at me? Look at yourselves!” she replied.

The other three looked themselves over and saw they too had taken on the form of anthro ponies.

“Holy cow!” Lita gasped, as she looked at her hands.

Zink felt her head, “We have hair?!”

“The correct term is 'mane', Zink.” Mushroom corrected her.

Zanna held up her actual pony tail, “And check out these tails. Much better than our weasel tails.”

“Mush, explain.” Lita looked to the smarter sister.

“Well, remember when our sensei's told us they took the form of mutant ponies when they traveled to Equestria, so the dimensional convergence has affected us as well.” Mushroom explained.

“Well, it beats walking on all fours. How could we expect to wield our weapons without hands? Use our mouths?” Zink asked rhetorically.

“Well, we don't have to do that.” Lita told her.

“Wow, look!” Zanna gasped, as she looked over the edge of the roof.

The group looked out seeing the town they were in a coastal village by the beach, “Is this Maretime Bay?” Lita asked.

“I'd say most likely.” Mush confirmed.

“It's a beach town?” Zink asked.

“Hey, I love the beach.” Zanna said.

“Ok, girls. Focus,” Lita reined them in, “We have to find Sunny Starscout.”

“And how? She could be anywhere in this town.” Zink noted.

“Why don't we ask someone to see if they know?” Zanna suggested.

“It is the most logical thing to do.” Mush shrugged.

“Fair point, but we got to play it safe. We have no idea how ponies will react to ones of our appearances.” Lita reminded them.

“Yeah, it'd be just like how some of those human supremacists back in New York are against non-humans.” Zink reminded them.

“Hey! Look down there,” Zanna motioned down to the Sheriff's station, “If we're looking for someone we should ask the local law enforcement.”

“Makes sense,” Lita agreed, “Alright, let's move.” the four mutant ninjas went down from the building and blended to the shadows.

At the sheriff's station, coming out of it was Hitch and Sprout much older now with Hitch wearing the sheriff's badge on his person.

“Ah, nothing like closing up shop for the night, huh, Sprout?” Hitch asked, as he locked up.

“Yeah. It's been a long day. And tomorrow's gonna be longer.” Sprout groaned.

“I know. The annual Canterlogic show. Gonna wanna get my sleep for that.” Hitch said, as he was about to trot home, until the two heard a voice spoke up unknowingly belonging to Zanna.

“Pardon me, are you the sheriff?”

Hitch and Sprout looked seeing four figures in the shadows of an alley which made Sprout nervous, but Hitch spoke up in confidence, “Why yes I am. Sheriff Hitch Trailblazer. And what might I ask are you four doing out so late?”

“Sorry, but we're in need of help.” Mush answered.

“Ah. Well, I'm always ready to help a pony in need.” Hitch admitted, while unaware of Sprout wordlessly mocking Hitch with mimicking his lip movements.

“Good. Because we're looking for some... pony we know who lives here.” Zink continued.

Hitch looked at the four and sighed, “Before I help any of you I'm gonna need you four to step into the light.”

“Uh, that might be a problem.” Lita explained nervously.

“Why? Do you have wings or horns?” Hitch asked suspiciously, making Sprout worry.

“Nope. We got none of those.” Zanna admitted.

“Then I don't see what the problem is.” Hitch said.

“Ugh, Lita, we better show him otherwise we'll be here all night.” Zink told the oldest.

“Alright. Alright. Brace yourselves, both of you.” Lita instructed Hitch and Sprout, who were concerned.

The four stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight revealing themselves to the two ponies. Needless to say both ponies were in shock as Zanna spoke trying to lighten the mood.

“Hi!”

“What in the...” Hitch began.

“Freaks!” Sprout accused in a scream.

“Freaks?!” Zink asked with a frown.

“Look, I know, we look different...” Mush tried explaining.

“Exactly,” Hitch cut her off, “You're different, you're strangers, which means I can't trust you.”

“Yeah, what he said!” Sprout spoke up.

“We're not looking for trouble!” Lita tried reasoning.

“Well, I'm sorry but you being here just caused it.” Hitch said, as he was about to hurry to sound an alarm.

Zink quickly caught on, “No ya don't!” she slid in knocking Hitch away from pushing the alarm.

“Ow! You hit me!”

“Because you were about to do something stupid.” Zink replied.

“Alright, for assaulting the sheriff I'm taking you four in for questioning!” Hitch declared.

“Sorry, but this is our first night here, and we have no intention of getting arrested.” Zanna said.

“Deputy, cuff them!” Hitch ordered, as Sprout looked from side to side.

“Me?” he asked nervously.

“Who else?” Hitch asked in annoyance, as he tried to apprehend Lita who blocked him from trying to apprehend her, “Hold still!”

“Yeah, not happening.” Lita answered, as she kept knocking Hitch back.

Sprout looked at the three mutant ponies nervously, “J-Just come along quietly, and no pony gets hurt.”

Zanna laughed, “Look at him shaking in his hooves.”

“He doesn't have the guts to arrest us.” Mush chuckled.

“I do so!” Sprout said trying to put up a tough guy act.

“Hey,” Zink said causing Sprout to look in her direction, “Boo!”

Sprout shrieked in fright before trying to run for it only to bump into Hitch causing them both to fall over. Lita looked over at her sisters, as Zink spoke to her, “We're not getting anywhere with these idiots.”

“Good point. We're out of here!” Lita ordered, as they gathered close.

“Adios!” Zanna said, before throwing down a smoke bomb blinding the two.

The smoke cleared and they were nowhere to be seen, “They're gone.” Hitch gasped.

“What was that about?” Sprout asked still scared.

“Don't know, but I feel they'll be back.” Hitch believed.

“I better alert my mom about this.” Sprout suggested.

“I'll join you. She needs to be warned of a potential new threat we must be prepared for.” Hitch said, as the two trotted off.

Atop one of the roofs were the four sisters with Zink grunting, “Great! We're here for only a minute, and already we're being treated like enemies!”

“Yeah. I mean, so what if we don't walk on all fours like they do,” Zanna asked, “Doesn't mean, we're freaks.”

Mushroom sighed, “Lita, how do we find Sunny Starscout now?”

“We'll have to search in the morning. But right now, we need some sleep.” Lita said, as the others agreed before laying down and slept under the clear night sky.

When the sun rose up, the ponies of Maretime Bay were already up and about going through their morning activities, and opening up their shops and businesses. The sisters awakened by the suns glow sat up and yawn.

“Morning, girls.” Lita greeted.

“Morning, sis.” Zanna stretched her arms up.

They got up and stretched as Mushroom looked down below, “Hey, girls, check it out.” The others looked down seeing the ponies of Maretime Bay, all being earth ponies.

“Whoa, look at all the ponies.” Zanna marveled.

“They're all earth types.” Mushroom noted.

“Didn't our sensei's say this world was populated by three types?” Zink asked.

“Yeah. Aside from Earth ponies there are also unicorns and pegasi.” Lita remembered.

“But didn't that sheriff from last night ask if we had horns or wings?” Mushroom recalled.

“He did,” Zanna confirmed, "And he asked us like it was a bad thing if we did."

“I got a funny feeling things really aren't quite what they used to be here during our sensei's times.” Lita suspected.

“So now what?” Zink asked opened to suggestions.

“We still have to find Sunny Starscout.” Lita reminded her.

“Question is where could she be?” Mushroom wondered.

It cut to the old room of Sunny, as the earth pony who was also older like Hitch and Sprout laid in bed, before her clock alarm rang, before she reached over tapping the snooze button with her hoof.

She sat up in bed, displaying both an eager smile and a badly frizzed-out, flyaway mane. With a yawn and stretch of her legs she was on her hooves and looked at her calendar taped to a full-length mirror propped against one wall. Her gaze flicks past rows of crossed-out days and the activities written in for them, stopping on one box adorned with a quartet of glittery stickers—sun, heart, two stars. Anticipatory glee yields to consternation once she gets a good look at herself in the mirror and blows a stray magenta strand away from her eye. She opened a nightstand drawer to reveal hundreds of rubber bands, one of which is quickly snapped on to secure the end of her mane in a single long braid.

Sunny dawned her saddlebag and gave her reflection an approving nod, having applied a second rubber band farther up the length of her braid, as morning light filters through her closed curtains.

In the lantern room of the lighthouse the toys from her youth have been replaced by a mishmash of loaded bulletin boards, taped-up papers connected by strings, houseplants, books, and arts-and-crafts supplies on the table where she and the colts played. One of the boards shows a large photograph of an imposing glass-fronted building topped by a gigantic replica of Phyllis’s glasses; tacked up next to it is a flyer for an annual show at Canterlogic, which boasts a logo of that mare’s eye-wear and mane with the silhouette of a building worked into the hairline.

Now at the table, she puts the finishing touches on a sheet and lifts it; the camera is positioned so that none of the contents are visible for the moment, “Perfect.” she told herself.

She folded it up and slid it into the saddlebag, and later she descended via the lift into the study/kitchen. She trots confidently toward the front door, passing Argyle’s worktable—but he is not there. Resting on it among the artifacts and ancient literature are his wooden pendant, a framed photo of him, and his glasses in an open case.

Sunny opens one set of curtains to take in the bright morning sunshine, then trots eagerly toward the front door. The photo of herself and Argyle is still hanging next to it, “Today’s the day, Dad. I actually have a plan this time. Wish me luck!” She lets herself out, knocking the picture off kilter when the door closes, then reaches back in to straighten it before going on her way.

Outside Sunny stood wearing rollerskates on her hoofs and a crash helmet before singing as she skated for town.

Sunny: Good morning, sun, no time to chat, I gotta run

’Cause I got places to be

She reached the town proper, and stopped on a bridge to gaze over streets and water.

So much to do, excited, yes, and nervous too

A change is starting with me

Rolling to ground level, she loads up a parked delivery cart with the wares from a nearby mobile smoothie stand, harnesses herself to it, and is off again.

I never worry ’bout upsetting carts, hardened hearts

Or wonder, “Will I belong?”

Hearing the singing, the mutant ninja sisters looked out and spotted Sunny ready to take off with her delivery cart.

“You think?” Zanna asked.

Lita nodded, “I do.”

“Let's go!” Zink called, as Sunny took off, as the ninjas were ready to tail her from the roof tops.

I’ve heard it enough, I’m calling their bluff

I’ll never get lost in the gray

An expert spin carries her past Sprout seated at an outdoor table; he indignantly throws down the newspaper he has been reading and gives chase to her.

There’s something inside, burns bigger than pride

Shines out of me, lighting the way

Gonna be, gonna be, gonna be my day [Be my day]

Gonna be, gonna be, gonna be my day [Ah-h, ah-h]
Gonna be, gonna be, gonna be my day [Gonna be my day]

As she passed a stallion seated to eat a bit of breakfast; he gasps in unwelcome surprise when Sprout pauses just long enough to chug/gobble all of it.

Zink spotted this in shock, “It's that idiot pony from last night. The red one! He just ate that pony's food!”

“Rude much?” Zanna asked.

“Come on!” Lita ordered, as they continued to tail Sunny.

Sunny:Hey there, hello, the friends I make, the friends I know

Today you answer my call

Two foals batter a pair of piñatas one of a pegasus and the other of a unicorn into submission and eagerly gather up the candy, to Sunny's dismay. A third is quick to get in on the haul.

Instead of hide, instead of staying stuck inside

Instead of building your wall

Come on and party with me, join the band, understand

We’ll all be singing the song

Sunny offered a unicorn balloon sculpture she made to a downhearted filly, instantly boosting her spirits. When the youngster shows it to her parents, though, they recoil from it with cries of shock. Now Sprout commandeered a colt’s skateboard to keep after Sunny.

“Now he stealing a kids skateboard?!” Zink asked in shock.

“We'll worry on that later!” Lita ordered, as they focused on Sunny.

I’ve heard it enough, I’m calling their bluff

I’ll never get lost in the gray

Just after Sunny rolled over a closed manhole, a construction worker props it open from underneath to stare after her. Sprout hits the incline and is launched into a graceless, screaming flight.

Go big or go home, get real or get known

Get ready and raring to say

Meanwhile, the mare with all her wheels still on the ground begins to affix heart-shaped stickers to lampposts, trash cans, and more. Some have silhouettes of unicorn heads, while others carry the likeness of a pegasus. Zoom in quickly to an extreme close-up of one and cut to Sunny on the move through another part of town.

Gonna be, gonna be, gonna be my day [Be my day]

Gonna be, gonna be, gonna be my day [Ooh]

A trio of onlookers glance worriedly toward their hooves, then scream and bug out upon finding a winged shadow falling over them. Its source proves to be a pair of kites, one bird-shaped, whose kid operators laugh sheepishly at having caused the scare.

Sunny: Everyone’s afraid

Always judging, never budging

Sunny stopped at a framed poster of a shadowy pegasus menacing an earth pony and paints a large red heart onto the glass. The camera points out from behind it toward her.

Ain’t it time we made

The team, the dream?

A badly winded Sprout caught sight of her full effort and shoots a nasty look after her. The heart is painted around the winged figure, framed by smaller ones, and smiley faces have been added to both ponies.

Sunny: Let’s open our eyes, sun’s starting to rise

And finally able to say

A burst of speed allows her to catch up to a passing trolley so she can grab the rear bumper and be towed along.

Gonna be, gonna be, gonna be my day [Gonna be my day]

Gonna be, gonna be, gonna be my day [Be my day]

Sunny released her grip and slid to a stop before going at her own pace. While Lita and her sisters stopped on another roof having been tailing Sunny since they spotted her.

“Where do you think she's off to?” Mushroom asked.

“And with those smoothies? Yum.” Zanna licked her lips.

“I think I have a good idea where she's going.” Lita said, while looking ahead, as they saw she was looking at the building of Canterlogic.

“Canterlogic?” Zink wondered.

“What's that?” Zanna asked.

“To find the answers, one must seek it.” Mushroom answered.

“Agreed. Come on.” Lita said, as they continued to follow Sunny before hiding on a roof close to the walkway of the location.

The four watched Sunny approach it, but before she could get closer, Sheriff Hitch popped out from a nearby sign.

“Aha! There you are, Sunny. Just the pony I was expecting.”

“Him too?” Zink asked in disbelief.

“So he knows her?” Lita wondered, as they listened in to the two ponies conversation.

“Morning, Sheriff Hitch. I see you brought the whole squad along again.” The four mutants saw accompanying Hitch were two small birds, one wearing an empty can for a hat, and a crab.

They saluted, as Hitch let out an exasperated sigh, “What is it with me and critters? I’m like a magnet to them. Guys, come on. Give Hitch a little space.” They retreat only an inch or so; he groans and straightens up to face Sunny again.

“So what's up?” Sunny asked Hitch.

“Oh, please. Like you don’t know? Today is the annual presentation at Canterlogic.”

“Annual Presentation?” Zanna asked her sisters who were just as curious.

“Hey, I’m headed there right now.” Sunny said, as she made her advance only for Hitch to block her with a foreleg.

“Uh, no, you’re not,” Hitch answered, “Listen. I know that you have come up with some harebrained scheme to sabotage it. And if you think I’m just gonna let you walk in there-”

“Hey, Hi-i-i-itch…” she began in sing-song.

Hitch catching on what she was hinting at spoke sternly, “No.”

“Come on.” Sunny pleaded, as two mares passed by.

“Good morning, Sheriff Hitch!” one greeted.

“Morning, Mayflower, Dahlia,” he greeted with a chuckle, before turning back to Sunny acting all business, “Sunny, I'm on duty!”

Sunny who was still smiling, lifts a skate-clad front hoof and wiggles it, much to the ninjas confusion. Hitch reluctantly giving in performed a hoof shake routine with Sunny speaking word for word, “Up high, down low, hitch it to a post, Flip it sunny side up and on a piece of toast!”

When the routine finished, Sunny glided through a playful nudge and giggly arc and stopped facing him, “Ok?” Hitch asked if she was satisfied.

“Oh, that is so sweet. They're like besties.” Zanna said sweetly.

“Gag.” Zink pointed down her throat.

Sprout, finally arriving was about to collapse from lack of oxygen, stumbled up and leaned against the sign, “I did what you asked for, Hitch. She never left my sight. Not even once.”

“He is such a liar.” Zink told her sisters.

“Obviously.” Lita agreed.

“Oh, hey, Sprout,” Sunny greeted him, before noticing his exhaustion, “You okay? You seem kinda wheezy.”

Sprout regained his composure and spoke, “That’s Deputy Sprout to you.”

As Sunny skated away Hitch called, “Hey, w-wait up! I’m not finished! Sunny!” he made in front blocking her path, “Sunny, we both know how this goes. Every year you try to sneak in, and every year I stop you.”

The mutants looked at each other curious about Sunny sneaking into this place wondering what her M.O was with it, as Sunny spoke to Hitch.

“Look, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll just go into the factory, deliver my smoothies, and-”

Sprout interrupted her, “Ah-ah-ah! You can’t even step a hoof in there. My mom had you banned.”

Mushroom spoke to the others, “Banned? What was she banned for?”

“Haven't a clue.” Zanna replied.

“Look, I-” Sunny tried to argue with Sprout only for Hitch to stop her.

“I’m asking you as your friend, Sunny, not as Sheriff. Just please try not to pull any stunts today?”

“Okay, okay. I’ll try.” she promised.

“Thank you. Now, give your delivery to Sprout and go home.” he ordered Sunny.

“Who does he think he is telling her what to do?” Zink asked with a frown.

“Well, he is sheriff.” Mushroom reminded her.

“Nevertheless.” Zink replied.

As a pony passing by dropped some paper on the ground Hitch galloped after them calling, “Hey, hey! That’s a violation of Code Thirty-Three!” as the critters follow after Hitch, Sunny turned toward the entrance to the Canterlogic grounds but is brought up short by Sprout standing smugly in her way.

“Buh-bye.” he said smugly. Sunny rolled her eyes disgustedly and wheels slowly back the way she came, accompanied by his unfriendly chuckle. Hitching up to her cart, Sprout starts up the hill toward the Canterlogic facility.

Zink frowned at Sprout's behavior towards Sunny, “I really don't like that guy.”

“Yeah, he's such a smug jerk.” Zanna agreed.

“Wonder why Sunny wants to get into Canterlogic?” Mushroom wondered, as Lita watched, seeing Sunny back pedal with a squint-eyed smirk over her shoulder toward the place.

“Girls, I think we may find out just yet.” Lita said, as they watched Sunny sneak her way towards Canterlogic, before they followed her full ninja mode.

The Canterlogic Showcase

At the Canterlogic factory, all earth pony workers were developing every invention in the factory. Their main goal is to keep every earth pony safe from other tribes. All the products are then loaded in boxes and delivered to every building in Maretime Bay. As Sprout was making his way inside with the wagon of smoothies toed on his back, one little earth pony giggling wasn’t watching where she was going and almost bumped into Sprout, “Hey, watch it!” he shouted. Every pony was excited for the big event and were wondering what Phyllis is going to present on stage.

“Welcome, everypony,” A pony named Toots greeted visitors in the tour group, “Got any questions about the Canterlogic factory? Happy to answer them.”

“Oh, yeah. Where are the free smoothies?” an earth pony asked.

“Uh, I can't answer that.”

Hitch sighed while looking around, “You know what, Sprout? I think I finally got through to Sunny.”

Sprout spoke, “I’m glad you did, Hitch. We can’t have her ruin the annual presentation every time she makes a scene here.”

“Agreed.” Hitch replied.

“By the way, you didn’t tell Sunny about those freaks we ran into last nigh. Did ya?” Sprout questioned to Hitch.

“Nope. But if they show up again, we'll be ready for them this time.” He assured Sprout who had a smug look on his face.

But what those two stallions didn’t know was up from above, the ninjas were already hiding together in one of the conveyor belts up above filled with boxes near the window that wasn’t operated. They had heard the whole thing.

“Oh, we sure hope you two are.” Mushroom quietly chuckled to herself.

“Lita, what do we do now?” Zink questioned her, “We lost track of Sunny when she snuck in.”

“We'll meet up with her soon, Zink,” Lita assured her, “Right now, I wanna see exactly what this showcase is all about.”

“It probably has something to do with all this weird stuff.” Zanna opened up the boxes to see the gadgets these ponies made, and what she said was correct. They were weird stuff.

“What are these low tech inventions?” Mushroom asked looking at some.

“Based off all the fear of pegasi and unicorns around the town, I have a gut feeling this stuff is supposed to be used for defense against them.” Lita suspected.

“I think you're onto something.” Mushroom agreed.

“These are for defense?” Zink asked while holding up some weird antennae helmet.

Before they could further their conversation the lights went off and the show was about to begin, “Shh, the show's starting.” Mushroom said as the ninjas grabbed a pair of binoculars Mushroom invented to get a better visual.

An Announcer Pony spoke, “It's the moment you've all been waiting for. As the founder of Canterlogic, she's been keeping us safe and stylish for the last twenty moons. Please go wild for the one and only... Phyllis Cloverleaf!” All the crowds began to cheer.

Phyllis Cloverleaf entered on stage, “Thank you! Thank you! Oh, hey, how are ya? Thank you so much. We here at Canterlogic are so thrilled to create perfect products that protect ponies like you... from ponies like that!” She pointed to some pictures of pegasi and unicorns, “And, like I always say, "To be scared is..."

"...to be prepared!" the crowd finished.

“To be scared is to be prepared?” Mushroom questioned.

“Guess they really do fear all other pony kinds. Even us.” Zanna asked.

“Zanna, we may look like ponies, but we’re not from here. Ok?” Zink frowned.

“Shh.” Lita said.

“Oh, I love it! That's right!” Phyllis cheered from the crowds shared enthusiasm with her.

“Yahoo!” A pony named Rob cheered.

“So, let's start the show!” Phyllis declared, as runway music played and ponies started taking pictures.

Phyllis showed the crowd three ponies equipped with different products they invented to keep them safe, “Up first, we have Sugar Moonlight looking absolutely stunning in our high-tech Anti-Mind-Reading Hat. All those psychic unicorns out there are gonna be out of luck when you wear this little number.” She explained as the pony model was wearing a metal helmet with an antennae on top. As for Hitch, he was enjoy this and the music. Sprout just kept on drinking his smoothie. The ninjas were not satisfied with what they’re witnessing.

“Sensei said unicorns aren't actually psychic, they just use magic like levitation.” Zanna whispered to her sisters, as they continued to watch the show.

“Now let's welcome Sparkle Chaser in his Pega-Periscope Goggles, the easy way to keep your eye on the sky!” she continued. The pony model was wearing periscope goggles allowing him to look upward while keeping his head straight. Unfortunately, Sparkle Chaser wasn’t watching where he was going and accidentally fell off the stage, “Oh! [chuckles nervously] It's all part of the show!” Phyllis said sheepishly.

The ninjas could not believe what they're seeing, “Wow. This is just… lame.” Zink said who was not happy about this.

“Yeah, I don’t think these inventions will ever keep them safe.” Mushroom agreed.

The third pony was about to activate what looks to be a backpack, “Next up, the Earth Pony Balloon Escape Pack!”

When the balloon pony activated the escape pack, he shrieked as he flew up into the air so fast that he flew past the ninjas and out of the window. The ninjas gasped and were worried. Lita, Mushroom, and Zink didn’t remember leaving that window open when they came in here. Except for Zanna, “I meant to close that. He’ll be alright, I’m sure.” Zanna chuckled sheepishly. Her sisters looked at Zanna and frowned.

Down below Hitch was still enjoying the tune, and Sprout was still drinking his smoothie. Hitch spoke after witnessing the pony go out the window on the escape pack, “Yikes. That's gonna be a lot of paperwork.”

Phyllis then continued for the final part, “We take great care here at Canterlogic to ensure the safety of you, our loyal customers.”

“Awwww...” the ponies said together.

“But recently, unicorns and pegasi aren't our only threat now!” the audience let out a gasp fearing a new threat, “That's right, just last night, our beloved Sheriff Hitch and his deputy, my son; Sprout. Were viciously attacked by a gang of what my son described: Ninja Pony Freaks!” The audience cried in alarm as Phyllis motioned to Hitch and Sprout who suddenly grabbed an icepack from somewhere and held it to his head while making fake hurt moans.

“Viciously attacked?” Zink asked in outrage.

“We barely did anything to them.” Zanna said equally miffed.

"We didn't even have to touch the red one." Mushroom put in.

“That's why, we have developed a new defense to combat this new threat which we'll reveal at the end of our presentation. Now please stand back,” she said as the crowd stood back, “This product testing demonstration is fully automated.”

Sweets activated the cycle and the lights went on to show a training field with a training dummy standing on a platform. As they were about to begin, Sunny who dressed as an alicorn jumped on the platform and pushed the dummy aside smiling. Phyllis gasped at seeing Sunny on stage, followed by Hitch, while Sprout who went back to drinking his smoothie did a spit take. The crowd then gasped, along with the ninjas.

“It's Sunny!” Zanna gasped.

“What's she's doing?” Zink asked.

“I don't know.” Lita replied.

“This is not going to end well.” Mushroom said worried.

They all watched Sunny pull out a sign of a unicorn horn, pegasus wings, and a horshoe. But what Lita saw that made her eyes wide, was the Hamato symbol embedded on it as well.

“Look at the sign, girls,” She whispered. And they all gasped to see the symbol, “That’s our clan symbol. Sunny must’ve heard of the ninja clan!”

“True, but she hasn’t met us!” Mushroom whispered back.

Sunny shouted to the guests, “Earth ponies of Maretime Bay! Fear is not your friend! But the ninjas, unicorns and pegasi can be! Let's extend the hoof of friendship!” Suddenly, the platform attached boots to Sunny’s hooves, “Wha—? That is not what I meant.”

Phyllis whispered to Toots and Sweets through gritted teeth, “Turn it off! Turn it off! Turn it off!” Sweets tried to turn it off, but she couldn’t. Phyllis chuckled sheepishly trying to keep the audience calm, “So... Now you can prevent an aerial abduction with a set of our new Anti-Pega-Lift Boots!”

Then a claw that looked like a pegasus came down and grabbed Sunny’s cardboard horn and wings clean off.

Sunny Starscout shouted while avoiding the claw, “Peace with Pegasi! Ah! Unity with — ah! — unicorns! Honor with— whoa — ninjas!”

Both Toots and Sweets kept fiddling with the controls to stop the program, but to no avail. Sunny grunted while banging her sign at the claw to shoo it off. But it took her sign away anyway, “Hey! Gimme that back!” and dropped it on her head “Ow!”

“Ugh, Sunny.” Hitch groaned, as he ran to try and help save his friend. Sprout didn’t care one bit and just kept drinking his smoothie.

At the ninja’s hiding spot, they too were not enjoying this, “Oh, this is embarrassing.” Zanna moaned.

Then another claw grabbed Sunny’s back and was lifted off the ground. The platform started to rotate and show what appears to be a trap labeled X.

“Peace with... Pegasi! Unity with unicorns! Honor with ninjas!” Sunny yelled.

Phyllis then showed everybody the next phase, “Uh, e-e-everypony, take a look at our Unicorn Entrapment Device!”

Sunny was then equipped by a horn and the claw released her, “Whoa!” she squeaked. When she landed on the platform, She was trapped inside with an alarm buzzing.

Hitch came over to the two ponies who were still fiddling with the controls, “Toots! Sweets! Shut her down! Sheriff's orders!” He demanded.

“We're trying!” Toots shouted.

Sweets spoke, “Fully automated means it has to go through the whole cycle!”

Soon, the unicorn trap opened, and now Sunny was equipped with a pair of wings, “Huh?” she questioned. The door on the right opened revealing a launcher that was aimed at Sunny, “Oh, no.” She moaned and was lifted off the ground swooping around the training field, “Whoa! [screams] Peace with Pegasi! Unity with unicorns! Honor with Ninjas!”

The crowd and the ninjas kept staring at her flying around in circles, “Uh, a-a-and this is the Splat-a-pult!” Phyllis stated.
Sunny was spun faster and faster, and was covered in gooey slime that was launched from the device, “CEASE FIRE!” she shrieked as she was splat in the face. That made the crowd and the ninjas groan. Then, the splatapults were turned off and Sunny was gently placed on the ground.

Phyllis shouts out. “Let's hear it, everypony! Come on!” The crowd cheered at Phyllis and her projects. But the ninjas were not happy about this.

“A splatapult? Really? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!” Mushroom answered.

“Yeah, now I know how Sensei Michelangelo feels.” Zanna said.

“What are you talking about Zanna?” Zink asked.

“Remember hearing story of the Newtralizer?” she explained to her big sister. “Sensei Donatello named that alien lizard when he was rescuing April’s dad alone. And when his brothers showed up, Sensei Michelangelo was so mad at Sensei Donatello that he named something without him. He always had a habit of naming stuff, remember?”

“Touché, Zanna. Touché.” Zink groaned flatly.

Soon, a different alarm went off, then a big door opened from behind the training field, revealing what looked like anthro ninja pony bots but they looked a bit last minute put together. The crowd could not believe their eyes.

“Are those robots?” Zink questioned.

“They look like pony versions of the old Foot Bots to me.” Mushroom suggested.

“And yet they look poorly put together.” Lita noticed.

Phyllis presented, “And for our last presentation, I present you Hoof Bots!” The crowd ooed and ahhed at the sight of them.

“HOOF BOTS?!” Sunny and the Ninjas screamed.

Phyllis explained, “Don’t you love it? My new robotic Hoof Bots follow our orders to a T. No arguing, no prodding, they do whatever we want. Cool right?”

Lita huffed, “Yeah, convenient. Nice.”

The crowd cheered as Phyllis continued, “These bad boys are programmed with dozens of fighting styles. Each one is equipped with their own ninja weapon, along with some shurikens and kunai daggers. My hoof bots will know every move, every skill, every attack those freaks make. Though they're still in their development stages, once they are all fully operational, they will be under our sheriff’s command!” she smirked. The crowd went crazy and cheered.

The ninjas and Sunny gasped. Zink could not believe what she just heard, “You’ve got to be kidding me! Those tin-cans are going to follow the sheriff’s orders?! We can't let them use those things!”

“Zink, be quiet!” Lita demanded.

Suddenly, the Hoof Bots eyes were lit on and they all stared at Sunny, “Uh-oh.” She whimpered.

The hoof bots charged at her and she screamed. She ran as fast as she could, but the bots were catching up. Soon, they piled on her and she cried out, “SOMEPONY HELP ME!” The Hoof Bots just held Sunny down, as the crowd of ponies groaned and cringed as the robots kept piling on top of her.

Zink moaned, “Oh, not cool!”

“Shouldn’t we do something? She could get hurt out there!” Zanna asked in worry.

“No. We can’t interfere.” Lita ordered her sister.

Then one Hoof Bot picked her up and was about to throw her. Sunny screamed, “PUT ME DOWN!”

Phyllis shouted, “TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF NOW!”

“We’re trying! We’re trying!” Sweet shouted back. Both she and Toots still can’t stop it.

Hitch had enough “Oh, will you just—”

He pulls the plug and the whole cycle was shut down. All the Hoof Bots were shut off and were flopped to the ground. But the last one that was holding Sunny threw her before it shut down. Sunny rolled and slid her way to the audience.

The crowd gasped when they saw Sunny splattered, and roughed up all over her body. Sunny spoke to the audience, “Aren’t you tired of being scared all the time? The truth is we’re not in danger. It’s all a lie. We don’t need any of this Canterlogic junk.”

Phyllis frowned “Oh we don’t, do we? How do you suggest we defend ourselves? With hugs and cupcakes?” the crowd laughed.

Sunny continued, “Just imagine if you have a friend who could fly or a friend who could–”

Phyllis added, “Fry your brains with a single horn zap? Or swoop down and snatch you away? Or worse, those ninja freaks will come for you, striking you down, and showing no mercy?!” the crowd gasped in horror, as the ninjas growled at Phyllis slandering them without even trying to understand.

“Sheriff, do your job.” Phyllis ordered.

“All right Sunny. Let’s go.” He told her.

“No!” she said, “Everypony needs to hear this! Everything you believe about ninjas, pegasi and unicorns is wrong! They used to be our friends and can be again!”

Phyllis rolled her eyes, “Oh, please.”

“But, if ninjas are here at Maretime Bay.” She continued. “then… then…” she took out a deep breath,

“I WANNA BE THEIR FRIEND AND BE PART OF THEIR CLAN!”

The whole group erupted in collective gasping. Everyone could not believe what they just heard from Sunny. The ninjas were surprised and felt touched.

Phyllis frowned, “Are you saying you want to be a ninja?!" Sunny nodded, "Sunny Starscout, you have gone too far! We don’t need nasty freaks to help us and invading our town. We have these Hoof Bots now and we can defend ourselves by doing it our way. If they ever show their faces again, it’ll be too late for them.”

Sunny gasped, “No! NO! You can’t do that! Don't hurt them! Please! They’re not our enemies!”

“Hey, we don’t need any of them around here!” a pony in the audience declared, as others started booing her.

“Get off the stage!”

Hitch goes over to Sunny, “Sunny, let’s go,” as he pulled Sunny out of the stage, “Show’s over, Sunny.”

“Sunny, you’re just embarrassing yourself.” another pony mocked.

Phyllis smirked, “It’s quite sad, really. Now, where were we? [giggles]”

The ninjas could not believe what they just heard from her. And so, they jumped out of the window to discuss what they’ve witnessed in the factory.

“Sunny's been following up on our clan.” Lita began.

“And she believes the other pony tribes can be their friends.” Mushroom added.

“But why does every pony else feel threatened by them?” Zink wondered.

“Sensei wasn't kidding when he said Equestria might not be the same as it was during his time,” Zanna said, “But I'll bet he'd never imagine it would be like this.”

“Why are the pony tribes separated?” Lita questioned, “And how did this all happen?”

“We should start by getting some more intel out of Sunny,” Mushroom suggested, “This is why we came here after all to find her, and figure out how to help Equestria.”

“Well, there she and the sheriff go.” Zanna motioned to the two leaving the building.

“Come on, girls. Let's go!” Lita said, as the four followed them.

They returned to the Smoothie stand where Sunny was closing up shop, while listening to Hitch lecture her.

“Do you have any idea how many bylaws you broke in there?”

Sunny answered in a snarky tone, “I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

“Actually, for once I can’t, ’cause there’s so many!” Hitch continued to lecture, and sighed, “I tried to warn you. I can’t keep associating with somepony who breaks every rule and causes chaos wherever she goes. I’m the Sheriff!”

“Exactly!” Sunny agreed, “Other ponies look up to you! You could help!”

Hitch just sighed heavily, “The law is the law, Sunny, and I’m here to uphold it and keep everypony safe.”

“Aha! You just said 'everypony,'” Sunny called it, “That includes pegasi and unicorns. And those ninjas you and Sprout claimed to have seen.”

“Come on, Sunny, what did you think was gonna happen? You give a little speech, and what? Everypony just magically welcomes unicorns, pegasi, and others into Maretime Bay? You keep saying there’s nothing to be afraid of? Well, then, prove it!”

The idealistic mare has no immediate response to this challenge, while the ninjas watching felt bad for Sunny. Hitch breaks the silence with a gentle, resigned sigh.

“All of that “pony unity” stuff was just a foals’ bedtime story made up by your dad. Like it or not, this is the way it is, and always will be,” Hitch paused, “I’m the last real friend you got in this town. You really want to lose me too?” Sunny deflates with a quiet exhalation of her own, and Hitch takes his leave.

The ninjas watched and didn't like Hitch's ultimatum he dropped on Sunny, “That's cold!” Zanna frowned.

“Low blow.” Zink frowned with her sister.

“But she's not wrong,” Mushroom spoke up, “If our senseis stories are anything to go by that is how Equestria was back then. But somehow the ponies divided up and forgot they were friends.”

“So what do we do now, Lita?” Zink inquired their leaders insight.

“We came here to talk to Sunny,” Lita replied, “And talk is what we're going to do.” she promised.

Unicorn comes to Town

Sunny sulked still dismal from her presentation at the Canterlogic Showcase to end in failure, and be made a fool of really brought her down. And now her only friend had just gave her an ultimatum about giving up her idea for Pony Unity or he stops being her friend.

She noticed one laughing foal chasing another around a corner and down the block. They stop to stare at a Canterlogic anti-pegasus poster, rear up with a playful growl, and dart back past Sunny to resume their game. She can only gaze brokenheartedly after them and sit down on a nearby curb to ponder the utter shambles that this day has become.

“I wish you were here, Dad.” she said with her voice breaking.

After a moment, her dismal mood was interrupted by the growing sound of galloping hooves; a pony raced by before stopping for only a moment to catch his breath, and is gone again with a panicked cry. Another barrels past, screaming at the top of her lungs, and now Sunny snapped back to reality.

“What the...” she wondered, as a stampede of ponies were coming her way, “What’s going on? What’s happening?” a stallion just collided with Sunny knocking her to the ground as he made his escape.

The Ninja girls watching from atop were just as concerned, “Looks like trouble.” Lita suspected.

“But from what?” Zink wondered.

“Look!” Zanna motioned by the bridge.

They saw approaching was an immense shadow topped by a mad tangle of tentacle-like projections. One mare shrieks and flees before its approach, and a bird standing in the thoroughfare cheeps in fright and keels over. The proprietor of an ice cream stand and a customer are next to freak out, followed by a trolley conductor who yanks the car’s brake lever as hard as she can to trigger a screeching, sparking deceleration. Sunny’s head begins to clear as the shadow casts itself over her, and she looks up and pulls in a lung-bursting gasp of purest shock.

Her blurry vision slowly started clearing up as she saw looking down at her was a pinkish-violet unicorn mare with a bright blue mane, worn in untidy waves and much longer on the right side of her head than on the left. Her eyes and brows were purple, and her horn was medium blue, fading nearly to white at the tip. The unicorn bore a grin on her face before speaking to Sunny.

“Hi, new friend! My name's Izzy.”

The Ninjas looked down in shock, as Zanna spoke, “Girls, that's a...”

“No doubt about it.” Mushroom agreed.

The tip of Izzy's horn catches the sunlight in the briefest twinkle, after which Sunny slowly stands to gape at the appendage, “Y…y-y-y… (beaming) …unicorn!” Sunny announced in joy.

Unfortunately the other ponies in town snapped out of their stupor and screamed in panic. Vendors hastily close up shop, and one pony dived into a manhole for shelter, the cover knocked away during his plunge and then settling itself back in place.

Izzy looked around unaware of what was going on, “Ooh! Is everypony playing hide-and-seek? I see you!” she called out to a stallion trying to hide behind Sunny’s smoothie stand; he screams in terror at being spotted.

“It’s a unicorn!” he jumped over the railing, sending up a very loud and very visible splash when he hit the water.

The Ninja Girls looked around in disbelief, “You've got to be kidding me.” Zink said.

“She's not even doing anything wrong!” Lita added.

“Plus with a face like hers it doesn't scream threatening.” Zanna added.

Hitch and Sprout emerge from the sheriff's office to survey the rapidly spreading chaos, “Hey, what’s going on?” Hitch asked, before gasping sharply upon seeing Izzy and was focused on her horn, “UNICORN ATTAAAAACK!!”

Sprout cried out and tried to dart back into the building, only to run flat into the now-closed front door and knock himself unconscious. Zink who saw that laughed to herself, but stopped remembering the situation.

On the wall next to the building door was a red button protected by a transparent panel in the manner of a fire alarm pull. The Sheriff drives a hoof through the panel and hits the button; tilt up to an alarm bell placed above this as it begins to shrill.

“Oh, jeez.” Mushroom gasped knowing things just got worse.

Hitch began calling out to the pony citizens, “THIS IS NOT A DRILL!! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!”

He stalked resolutely into the fray, while Sprout comes to and bolts away with a yell. Hitch gasped spotting a colt rooted to the sidewalk with fear, “A vulnerable young pony!” he began galloping over and with a nimble leap over a cluster of barrels brings him to the scene so he can snatch the youth up in a rolling tackle, “Gotcha!”

“Wow, that was pretty good.” Lita admitted.

Hitch then passed the colt off to a nearby mare, “Your son is safe now, ma’am.” he galloped away.

“This isn’t my kid!” The mare called back.

“You're welcome!” Hitch called back as the Ninja Girls face palmed.

Hitch once again began giving out orders, “Man the Splatter-Pult! Activate the unicorn traps!” he saw a wadded paper ball lands nearby, “Pick up that litter!” One resident is quick to scoop it up.

Now sections of the roadbed slide open to expose target panels, marked as for the one in the Unicorn Entrapment Device demonstration. Sunny gasped as the memory of their operation surges through her brain knowing the unicorn was in trouble.

Speaking of Unicorn, Izzy was trotting over to the railing looking out at the sea, “Wow... Is that the sea?” She paid no mind to the target popping up directly in her path, “I've never seen the sea!”

Sunny charged up and rammed her broadside an instant before the device goes off and the heavy walls snap upward to block both from view. Sunny just managed to stop Izzy from being caught, and the alarm and red strobe on the empty trap are going off. Sunny heaves Izzy back from the spot..

“I've gotta get you out of here!” she galloped along a side street, Izzy following.

Mushroom spoke to her sister, “What do we do now, Lita?”

“We follow!” she answered, as the four tailed the two ponies.

Izzy laughed as she followed Sunny, “Earth ponies are serious about games.”

“They’re not playing! They’re terrified!” Sunny answered.

“Oh, no! Of what?” Izzy asked in concern.

“You! You’re a unicorn! Earth ponies hate unicorns!” Sunny explained.

“Really?” Izzy asked in confusion, “That seems a little harsh.”

Emerging onto the main road, they slam on the brakes with frightened yelps and thus barely avoid being nailed by a barrage from a pair of Splat-a-Pults at the top of an adjoining hill. Green gobbets decorate the street as Toots and Sweets were working the artillery by means of cranks, with Phyllis directing them and wearing an Anti-Mindreading Hat.

“Let’s go!” Sunny ordered, as they head for an alley across the street, but are forced to change plans when one shot misses them by a hair, knocking over a barrel and spooking the pony who had been hiding behind it. The fleeing mares take cover behind a stopped, abandoned trolley for a moment.

“We have that unicorn now!” Phyllis called, only for ninja stars to fly by nailing the splat-a-pults severing the catapults from the devices, “What?!”

Sunny and Izzy peeked out, and saw the Ninja Girls standing a top a roof before landing down on the ground. Lita pointed at Phyllis, Toots, and Sweets, announcing, “Leave the unicorn alone!”

Toots and Sweets screamed in shock, “Those ponies are standing on two legs!”

“It's those ninja pony freaks I was told about!” Phyllis gasped, “This calls for help!”

Lita and her sisters ran to Sunny and Izzy, as the unicorn spoke, “Thank you, new friends.”

“Don't mention it.” Zanna replied.

“Are you real ninjas?” Sunny gasped.

“Save the Q&A for later.” Zink replied.

“We got to get out of here.” Lita added.

“Follow me!” Sunny ordered leading the group off.

They raced past the shoreline. Sunny, and the ninjas nimbly bob and weave past all the targets on the sidewalk, while a happily humming Izzy bounces after her as if playing hopscotch followed Zanna.

They made their way back only to see the same Hoof Bots from before forming a blockade, “These things?” Zink groaned.

“Oh, this is bad.” Sunny feared remembering how they ganged up on her during the presentation.

“Don't worry, leave them to us.” Lita said, as the girls raced in and fought the Hoof Bots.

Lita cut some down with her sword, as Mushroom bashed some of them together. Zanna swung her Chikiri Mace around nailing two, as Zink used her bo-staf spear to pierce through more of them.

“These things are weak sauce.” Zanna said.

“They better hope these come with warranties.” Mushroom added.

Sunny watched the ninjas feeling in awe at how they fought just as her dad told her about them. She then gasped remembering Izzy and saw her walking right up to a movie theater marquee, while Hitch and Sprout emerge from the Sheriff's station.

“Ooh, I haven't seen this one yet.” Izzy said, only to be contained in a unicorn trap.

The ninjas hearing that looked back seeing Izzy contained in one of the traps, “No!” Zanna gasped.

Hitch stepped out to address the ponies, “Alright, citizens, calm down. The threat has been neutralized; the unicorn has been captured. You may now cheer.”

Which the locals do in force as they peek out from hiding places high and low. Sunny glances uneasily at the display and takes a tentative step toward the trap.

“Sunny!” Hitch called sternly.

Sunny froze briefly, as the ninjas went to her side, as Zink spoke to her, “Don't listen to him. He tried to make you pick between your friendship and what you believe in. That's not being a friend, is it?”

Sunny was surprised and realized she and the other ninjas had to have heard all that she and Hitch discussed. Sunny gathered up the nerve and continued her approach.

“What are you doing?” Hitch asked seeing she wasn't stopping. Now only a few feet away, she eyes a glowing red button set into one wall, “Don’t even think about it!”

Sunny's expression hardened, as the ninjas smirked. The earth pony inches a hoof ever closer toward the control.

“Don’t—don’t you dare. No, no, no, no, no, no! Sunny!”

Sunny pressed the button making the trap dismantle itself in a blink to leave Izzy completely unharmed.

“So, your name’s Sunny?” Izzy asked her.

“We'll get on first name basis later.” Mushroom told her.

The other ponies resumed panicking and ran to evacuate with some managing to trap themselves by failing to mind their step. Sunny pulls Izzy off the target on which she is still standing, and Lita spoke, “We gotta go. This place is too noisy to talk.”

“Come with me!” Sunny ordered, as they ran for it.

“Bye! It was nice to meet you all!” Izzy called back to the other ponies.

Hitch knowing exactly where they were headed spoke to Sprout, “Deputy, to the lighthouse!”

Sprout looked uneasily not wanting to go where the unicorn and ninjas were, “Um…” He took one step to his right, planting himself on a trigger plate and got crated up, “Oh, no! I appear to be trapped!” he answered woodenly from inside.

“You gotta be kidding me.” Hitch groaned under his breath.

After escaping the chaos in Maretime Bay, Sunny, Izzy, and the Ninjas ran to the lighthouse, “This is where you live?” Zink asked Sunny.

“Yeah.”

“Why didn't we think to look here?” Zanna asked, as the group went inside.

As Sunny closed the door the picture of herself and Argyle slipped out of level, but straightened it out and then got to work closing the window curtains not wanting anyone to see inside. As she scrambled to keep everything inside hidden, the ninjas took notice of all the artifacts and research piled around.

“Wow, is all this yours?” Lita asked.

“It's my dads actually.” Sunny replied.

“Well, this is some impressive research. Based off all this it's how our sensei remembered Equestria.” Mushroom admitted.

“Great, but now that we're alone. Could I get some names here?” Sunny asked.

“Yeah, who are you guys?” Izzy asked eager to know.

“My name is Hamato Lita. Hamato is my surname,” the albino one began before motioning to her sibs, “And these are my sisters, Zink, Zanna, and Mushroom.”

“Hey.” Zink greeted.

“Sup?” Zanna greeted.

“Hi.” Mushroom greeted.

“Wait, your name's Mushroom?” Sunny asked the one sister.

“Wouldn't have been my first pick.” Mushroom admitted.

“Are you Earth Ponies like Sunny?” Izzy asked curiously while circling them.

“Well, somewhat, but not exactly.” Lita confessed.

“I never met a pony who can stand on their back hooves,” Izzy marveled, before looking at their hands, “And what're those?”

“They're called hands.” Zink answered.

“Wow.” Izzy marveled.

“My dad told me about ponies like you,” Sunny gasped, “Are you four... mutants?”

“Actually, yes.” Zanna confirmed.

“And you're ninjas! Wow!” Sunny beamed, before looking towards Izzy remembering how it was her appearance that started the uproar in Maretime Bay.

As Sunny stared at Izzy, the unicorn approached gazing back and spoke ominously, “Do earth ponies also like staring contests?” She scrunched up her face in concentration and leans in to fix Sunny with the most intense point-blank gaze she can make while humming a single note all the while. It didn't last long before she blinked and backed off.

“Ah! You win. I blinked.” She continued to look around the place.

Sunny spoke to herself, “There’s a unicorn and four mutant ninja ponies in my house. This is so cool!” She spoke excitedly, before switching to worry, “Wait, no, it’s bad. Very, very bad. What have I done?”

“You saved an innocent pony's life, Sunny.” Lita calmly told her.

“Yeah, everyone in town were total idiots to think a pony like her was dangerous.” Zink motioned to Izzy who was checking out a telescope. She was peering through the eyepiece; seeing Sunny on the other side.

“Woooow. I’ve never seen an earth pony before, let alone mutant ponies,” she walked over to Sunny and the ninjas, “We look exactly the same! Except for this, of course.” she pointed to her horn. She inclined her head toward Sunny and the ninjas, who ducks to stay well clear of it.

“Whoa, hey!” Sunny nudged it aside, “Be careful where you point that thing.”

“Why?” Izzy asked.

“Well, it looks sharp,” Zanna said, “I don't want it poking my eye out.”

Sunny continued, “And I, uh, um, sorta don’t want to get zapped with a wayward laser beam,” she laughed weakly, “But of course, you know that already. You’ve probably been reading my mind this whole time.”

“Were unicorns able to do that?” Zanna asked her sisters who were just as confused having never heard that was a common ability among unicorns.

Sunny continued to observe Izzy's horn, “Isn’t it supposed to glow, by the way, or does that only happen when you levitate stuff?”

“Well, actually—“ Izzy sheepishly chuckled.

“Wait! Don’t answer that yet,” Sunny galloped to kitchen, “Let me get my notebook!”

She pivots to stand behind its central island countertop, before laying a journal on it. She opened it and flipped through the pages, “Okay, wow, okay. A Hundred Forty-Two Questions for a Unicorn. Don't worry girls. I have a special section of questions for all of you too.”

“Oh, joy.” Zink answered dryly.

Sunny turned back to Izzy, “Question 1: Where do you live?”

“Bridlewood.” she answered.

“I knew it!” Sunny cheered.

“Bridlewood?” Mushroom wondered.

“Must've been a new town established long after our sensei's times.” Lita suspected.

Sunny continued questioning Izzy, “Do unicorns really live in trees? Do they eat pizza? If so, what toppings do they like? If not, why not?”

Zanna whispered to her sibs, “I hope she asks us that pizza question too.”

“Can you actually fry pony brains with a single horn zap?”” Sunny continued, before she knocked a can off the table, “Can you make this float?”

The can rolled to a stop at Izzy’s hooves. The ninjas were eager to see a unicorn use their magic, as Izzy answered Sunny, “No…but I can do this!”

She flipped it into the air, and kept it aloft by bouncing one end off the tip of her horn so that it always remained upright. The last strike sent it tumbling end-over-end to the floor, its contents being baked beans splatting down to the hardwood and cushioning the now-empty can when it hits.

“Ta-daaaaa!” Izzy declared dramatically.

Zanna applauded, while her sisters looked confused, and Sunny's face fell at the demonstration, “Wait. You don't have any magic?””

“How's that possible?” Lita asked.

“Sunny Starscout!” Came Hitch's voice on a megaphone, resulting in a feedback squeal making him groan in discomfort, “That hurt.”

Back inside, the girls heard that, “Oh, great. The sheriff!” Zink grumbles.

“Sunny Starscout I know you're in there with that unicorn and those four ninja outlaws. Come out with your hooves up and surrender.” Hitch continued.

Sprout who was wearing an anti-mind reading helmet spoke up, “Yeah. You're completely surrounded!” but as it turned out it was just the two outside.

Zanna who peered through the window noticed this, “He's such a bluff.”

"And outlaws?" Zink asked sounding insulted, "It's not like we actually did anything wrong here!"

Hitch spoke to Sprout, “Will you let me do my job?" This made Sprout pout, “You're under arrest." he called out.

"This is bad," Sunny worried, "We need to leave. Now!"

"Run from those stallions?" Zink asked rhetorically. She gently opened the window and called out to him, "I don't think so, pal! The unicorn has a name, Izzy. And she and Sunny stay with us!"

Hitch growled from their refusal to come quietly, "Sunny, you and those outlaws better come out of there right now or else!"

Zink called back, “Or else what? You didn't stand a chance against us last night when you tried to arrest us. And attacked you viciously? We hardly had to fight you at all! And we didn't even have to lay a hand on your cowardly deputy!” Sprout looked miffed.

"Uh, how sneaky are you?" Sunny asked the whole group.

"We're ninjas, Sunny. We know the art of invisibility." Zanna smirked.

"Great! How about you Izzy?" Sunny asked the unicorn.

Izzy suggested, "Uh, medium sneaky?"

Sunny grinned, "I can work with that. Ok, I'll distract them."

Izzy brushes it off, "Oh, relax. I'll talk to them."

As she makes her way to the door, Sunny shouted, "What? N-No! NO!"

Lita shouted along, "Izzy, come back here!"

Izzy stepped outside to talk to the boys, "Hi guys!"

Zink groaned, "Oh this will be fun."

"Now, I know what your thinking- " Izzy began.

"AAH! She's on to reading our minds,” Sprout yelled in Hitch's face and runs away like a coward, "Quick before she fries our brains!" Sprout yells.

"This might be our only chance," Lita began, "Lets make a run for it before Hitch sees us!"

"Right!" Sunny and the others agreed.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" Hitch yelled at the fleeing Sprout.

"To get reinforcements!" Sprout yelled back.

The ninjas quietly made a run for it out the front door and Sunny pushed Izzy quickly, "Go! Go! Go! Go!" Lita whispered.

"Hurry! Move it!” Mushroom whispered along.

"We have reinforcements?" Hitch questioned. When he looked back, he saw they were gone, "OH! COME ON!"

Looking Out For You

After escaping Hitch and Sprout, Sunny, the ninjas, and Izzy ran past a Leaving Maretime Bay sign and towards the meadows on the outskirts of town.

“Ha! We made it!” Zanna cheered.

“Those two won't be able to catch up to us now.” Mushroom added.

“Wait a minute!” Sunny interrupted before speaking to Izzy, “You don't have any magic?”

“Nope.” the unicorn confirmed.

“How is that possible?” Lita asked confused.

Sunny just let out a frustrated groan before plopping onto her haunches, “No magic?” she repeated.

“Hey, even we're just as confused.” Zink patted her.

“Oh, but if it makes you feel any better, we did have it,” Izzy spoke up to lighten their spirits, “But that was many, many, manymoons ago. It just—poof!—disappeared. Everypony thinks the pesky pegasi had something to do with it, but…”

“Pesky pegasi?” Zanna asked.

“Yeah, that's right.” Izzy replied before looking back at the still glum Sunny, “Oh! Hey, you look kinda woozy. You okay?”

Sunny got back up with a sigh, “I am on the run with four mutant ninjas and a unicorn with no magic. What are we gonna do?” she suddenly heard a sniffing sound and saw Izzy was sniffing around her as the four sisters looked disturbed.

“Ok, what is that about?” Zink asked.

“Uh, what're you doing?” Sunny asked Izzy.

“You don't smell.” she answered.

“Thanks... Wait, what?”

“Why would you think she smelled?” Lita asked Izzy confused.

“I was told all you earth ponies smell like rotten sardines, but you do not. Hm.” she spotted a butterfly and began following it.

“Rotten sardines?” Mushroom asked incredulously.

“Where did they come up with that?” Zanna wondered.

“What else do unicorns say about earth ponies?” Sunny asked curiously.

“Oh, just that you’re lazy and not the brightest crystals in the forest.” Izzy answered bluntly.

Zanna chuckled only for Zink to nudge her to shut it. Upon hearing this info from Izzy Sunny spoke dryly, “Charming.”

“Nope, just those three.” Izzy replied.

Lita spoke to Sunny, “Seems to me Unicorns have a similar false interpretation of Earth Ponies as the ponies in Maretime Bay have of them.”

“And of the Pegasi as well.” Mushroom added.

“Huh.” Sunny began piecing it together.

“So, Sunny, what's the plan?” Izzy asked wondering what to do now.

Sunny was suddenly hit with an idea, “I got it! Izzy, Lita, girls, we're going on a quest!”

“A quest?” Lita asked.

“To where?” Zink inquired.

“To Zephyr Heights!” the earth pony declared.

She took out her journal from her saddlebag and dropped it to the ground. It opened up to reveal the locations of Maretime Bay, Bridlewood, and Zephyr Heights.

“What's that?” Zanna asked.

“The Pegasus City?” Izzy gasped.

“Yes!” Sunny confirmed, “We need to find out what happened to your magic and bring it back. They have magic. Maybe they can help.”

“Huh. Sounds like a plan, Sunny.” Lita admitted.

“Like we have anywhere else to go.” Zink added.

“To Zephyr Heights!” Zanna declared.

“But the pegasi are bad news.” Izzy warned them with a shudder.

“Are they really?” Mushroom asked. With all the misinterpretations the ponies have had about each other they wondered if the pegasi were just the same.

“What if you’re wrong about them?” Sunny asked, “Earth ponies were wrong about unicorns. They could welcome us with open wings.”

“But what if they don't?” Izzy continued questioning.

The unicorn went to a cliff side and looked out to the hills and mountains in the horizon.

Izzy: Up ahead is a sky growing dark

Where it leads is a big question mark

And I'm scared that I'll end up

A pony gone missing from Pegasus-ing

Lita, her sisters, and Sunny smiled knowing what they had to do as Sunny stepped up along side their new unicorn friend.

Sunny: But you’re not alone

You got a pony in your crew

“I do? Who?” Izzy asked.

Sunny: I'm looking out for you!

Izzy followed her friends down and, as they were trotting through the grasslands the curious unicorn was once again fascinated by a butterfly. She tried following it past the group only for Lita to suddenly stop her in place to reveal Izzy was about to go over a cliff.

Lita: When you’re off track

I got your back

You can rely on me, I’m looking out for you

Sunny led the way as the group were leaping from one rock to another. Zanna balanced funnily on one before Zink bumped her off and onto another making Zanna frown.

Sunny: Back at home it was “earth ponies first”

Heard it so many times I could burst

And I fought for a change

But it’s lonely ’cause, you know, party of uno

Sunny looked down at her reflection in a puddle dismally, until Izzy and the ninjas reflection popped up.

Izzy: Well, if you need

A friendly steed like you-know-who

Sunny: I think I do

Group: I'm looking out for you!

They proceeded along while continuing to keep Izzy on the right track and not distracted by butterflies.

Zink: When you're off track

Mushroom: I got your back

Ninjas: You can rely on me, I'm looking out for you!

The ninjas worked together by getting apples down from a tree and gave Sunny and Izzy one each while the sisters enjoyed one as well.

Sunny: (searching) Lost in the hills!

Izzy: (crouching) I got the skills! Pony, let's get going

Sunny: Get going

Ninjas: Get going

And so the group was galloping/running across several landscapes from a sun-drenched forest, flowering plains where Zanna waved to the same Balloon Pony from Canterlogic that was still drifting off high in the sky, and a grassy stretch under a star-filled night sky.

Group: I'm looking out

[I’m looking out for you]

[I’ll go where you’re going to]

[It’s all that I want to do]

[I am looking out]

Group: For you!

They stopped on a ridge, facing a moonlit mountain whose summit disappears into the cloud cover, “Zephyrs Heights should be over that mountain..” Sunny explained.

“Then let's keep moving.” Lita instructed.

“Yeah! I'm so hyped I don't have to sleep!” Izzy said still excited.

“Come on!” Sunny ordered, as they carried on.

As Izzy trotted up ahead Sunny turned to Lita, “So, Lita, why are you and your sisters here in the first place?”

“We're on a mission.” she answered.

“What kind of mission?”

“Well, I think it's obvious, isn't it?” Lita asked rhetorically.

Sunny gasped, “You came to help me?”

“Got that right.” Zink confirmed.

“But how did you know?”

“You might say we have someone very special watching over us and knows where we're needed.” Mushroom explained.

“I see.” Sunny replied.

Zanna walked closer to her, “Point is, we're here. We found you and Izzy, and now we're gonna uncover the secrets behind the disappearing magic!”

“Just as long we don't hit too many speed bumps.” Zink hoped, as did they all.

Meanwhile that night back in Maretime Bay, Hitch was pacing around as Sprout was at his small desk eating a slice of pizza. Needless to say Hitch was unhappy about what happened today with Sunny. From crashing the Canerlogic Showcase to aiding a unicorn, and four mutant ponies he deemed dangerous.

“I told her. I told her!” Hitch vented, “No more favors, no more bailing her out. She gave me no choice. No choice! All right, we need to arrest her and bring her back to face the full force of the law.

Sprout was about to eat a nice slice but paused upon hearing what his superior said, “Question. When you say “we,” you mean…”

“You and I.” Hitch clarified like it was obvious.

Those words started Sprout as he tried to think of a way out of it, “I-I’d…I’d love to, but, um…” he started smearing pizza around like a dust cloth “…I-I just gotta clean up my workspace,” he knocked a stack of papers to the floor, “Get my papers in order and, um…”

Hitch looked clearly not buying his deputy's excuse before smiling, “You know what? I think you’re right. This one’s a job for Hitch and Hitch only,” he did a toss of the head and gave a gleaming smile. Hearing this Sprout sighed in relief, “All right, Sprout.”

He bucked the door open, as Sprout came around from his desk, “You stay here while I’m out dancing with danger. Keep everypony calm, maintain the peace. (exiting) Be a pillar of strength— (sighing wearily) —who am I kidding? Just try not to start a war while I’m gone, okay?” He failed to pick up on Sprout’s resentful glare as the doors slam shut.

When Sprout was alone he voiced his personal resentment of Hitch to himself, “Oh, everypony loooovesHitch! What does he have anyway?”

Sprout walked to a wall calendar with Hitch's image for the month and began ripping the pages off where each one depicted Hitch with the same pose but wearing different outfits from police officer, firefighter, construction worker, and sailor.

“Sure, he’s got a perfect mane, shredded abs, paid-off mortgage… so what? I’ve got stuff. I can do…um…things,” he pulled the calendar down, “Like that!” he closed an open file cabinet drawer, “And that!” Unfortunately another one immediately opened and he bucked it closed, “And that!”

The first one opened again making him let out a frustrated snarl and is about to put hooves to it when a visibly flustered Phyllis barges into the office.

“Where’s Hitch? Ponies all over town are terrified! They want answers!” she said in worry.

“He went after Sunny. Another solo Hitch mission.” Sprout answered sourly pretending he wasn't previously requested to join and tried to get out of it.

Phyllis seeing her son distressed lifted his chin up, “Sugarcube, why the Sprout Pout? That's great news.”

“It is?”

“Yes! It means that you are the Sheriff—at least for now.” his mother explained before she picked up a brass replica of Hitch's badge that was attached to the calendar before Sprout pulled it down. She placed the fake on her son's sash.

Hearing his mothers words gave Sprout a moment of clarity realizing what this meant for him, “I am!” he started acting like Hitch, “Hey there. The name’s Sprout. Sheriff Sprout. What’s the problem, filly? Don’t worry, Sheriff Sprout is here,” he pointed fiercely, “Pick up that litter! Sheriff's Sprout's orders!”

Both mother and son smile approvingly at one another, as the cocky red earth pony was going to exploit his new temporary stand in power and was going to revel in it.

Zephyr Heights and an Angry Mob

As the morning sun rose over the land, Sunny, Izzy, and the ninja girls were traveling along the bottom of a misty ravine.

“So any plan on what to do when we get to Zephyr Heights?' Zink asked open to suggestions.

“Yeah. I mean who do we actually talk to about magic?” Mushroom wondered.

“I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out when we get there.” Sunny assured them.

“I hope it's soon.” Zanna moaned tired.

“Stand tall, Zanna,” Lita instructed, “Remember first impressions are very important. That goes for you too, Zink.”

“Hey!” Zink grumbled.

Izzy spoke up nervously, “You know, not to freak you out or anything, but you do know pegasi can steal your luminescence, don’t you?”

“Our lumi-what?” Lita asked, as the girls were confused.

“You know, like, your sparkle?” Izzy continued before peering at Sunny, screwing one eye shut, “Yours is... lavender!” she smiled with both eyes open.

“Huh?” Sunny asked confused.

“And the happier you are, the brighter it shines.”

“Oh, what about us?” Zanna asked interested.

Izzy looked to Zanna, “I see orange in yours.”

“Sweet!” Zanna cheered.

Izzy turned to Lita, “I'm getting some blue from you. But I don't meant that you're depressed. Not at all.”

“Ok.” Lita replied.

Izzy looked to Zink, “I'm seeing red in yours.”

“Let me guess, because I'm temperamental?” Zink asked with a frown.

“No way. It's because you have such fiery passion about what you love.” Izzy calmed her.

Zink hearing this started to smile, “Well, that's more like it.”

“And you, Mushroom, I see purple, or is it violet?” Izzy wondered, while Mushroom shrugged deciding to take either one.

As they continued on, they suddenly heard an impact against rock somewhere in the foggy heights.

“Did you hear something?” Mushroom asked, as they were all concerned.

Unable to pinpoint the source, they carried on. Suddenly a dark blur flashed past behind them; their heads swivel toward it and they cry startled.

“You all saw that, right?” Sunny asked them.

“We're not alone down here.” Lita said suspiciously.

The mystery figure zips over the ravine in the direction they have been walking, and they wheel to stare up and ahead with another pair of yelps. Its next pass dislodges several rocks, which kick-start the girls into a screaming charge. Looking back, they see the dark speck ping-ponging toward them and steadily descending toward ground level.

“What is that thing?” Zink asked in shock.

“Just keep moving!” Sunny ordered, as they hurried.

The group stopped before a rocky wall, “We're trapped!” Izzy cried.

“Not yet we're not!” Lita said determined, as she led them climbing up the slope.

Soon they made it up to the top where the sun shined, but Sunny being behind almost lost her grip and started to fall back

“Sunny!” Izzy cried, as she leaned out allowing the earth pony to grab her horn and pulled her to safety.

“Good thinking, Iz.” Mushroom smiled, as they sighed in relief.

“What was all that about?” Zanna asked.

Suddenly as if answering her question, the mysterious figure was following them erupted from the cloud cover and into full light, scaring Sunny and Izzy and making Lita and her sisters draw their weapons. The figure dropped into an air-ripping dive that barely missed them. It came to rest on a nearby outcropping, but paused for only the briefest moment before somersaulting upward from one to another. Finally it stopped on a ledge and stood up, displaying features that could only be glimpsed during the high-speed ascent.

It was a pegasus mare that had an off-white coat; deep blue and violet feathers edging both broad wings in two distinct rows, a deep pink mane/tail shot with streaks of blue-green and lighter pink, the former in a short upswept style; silver hooves; an imperious countenance topped by pale blue-green eyes with deep pink brows.

The sight of her made Izzy and Zanna gasp in joy while Zink spoke, “Whoa!”

“A real pegasus!” Sunny cheered.

“Impressive wing span.” Mushroom added.

“Incredible.” Lita gasped.

The pegasus mare herself looked down at the group and gasped equally surprised, “Whoa! A Unicorn? An Earth pony? And ponies on their hind legs?” she started to smile slyly, “Okay, well this day just got a whole lot more interesting.”

Suddenly, there was clanking motion coming towards them. The pegasus looked to her left and saw two pegasus guards marching around the corner. With a frightened look, the white pegasus dashed passed the group. She looked back at them and requested, "Don't tell them you saw me."

"Hey wait!" Lita asked.

But it was too late, she just jumped and disappeared into the clouds.

"There's no way we could." Izzy called out to the mysterious pegasus, "We don't even know your name."

The ninjas and Sunny were amazed on what they witnessed today.

"She seems nice." Izzy commented to her friends.

"And she's awesome!" Zanna added back to Izzy.

Zink smirked, "Yeah, with her flying skills, she'd make a fine ninja."

Lita smiled, "Yeah, she sure would."

They were startled by a frightened scream, before spotting two more pegasi in guard armor. One of them cowered back behind the other who remained calm.

“Thunder, get it together!” the one ordered the other.

“But, Zoom, that's an earth pony!” Thunder motioned to Sunny.

“They're harmless,” Zoom replied dismissively, “They have very tiny brains.” Sunny scowled from that insult.

“But that about those ones?” Thunder motioned to the ninjas, “They have weapons!”

“That's right,” Zink confirmed, “So one move and I'll...”

“Stand down, Zink.” Lita ordered.

“What?” Zink asked in shock, while Zanna and Mushroom were confused.

“These two might be able to get us into the city.” Lita explained.

“You're actually suggesting we surrender?” Zink asked not liking this idea.

“Just play along for now.” Lita warned her sister.

Zink sighed, “Fine. Weapons down.” she and the others sheathed their weapons.

“See, that wasn't so hard.” Zoom told her partner.

“But what do we do about that?” Thunder motioned to Izzy.

“Well, did you bring the shield?”

“What shield?” Thunder asked.

Zoom nudged him angrily, “Didn’t you read the Guard Guide?”

“Yes!” he answered before pausing, “Okay, no.”

Zoom groaned, “Fine,” she advanced towards the group spreading her wings, I’ve got this.”

Next thing they know they were all in an glass elevator with Izzy now wearing a tennis ball on the tip of her horn.

“That's creative.” she said.

Mushroom spoke to her sibs, “If this is their way of defending themselves from unicorns, than they're worse at this than the ponies in Maretimy Bay.”

“No kidding.” Zink agreed.

Sunny decided to make the most of their time by interviewing Thunder with questions from her dad's journal, “What’s it like to fly? Is your wingspan the same as your height?”

“Well, I-” Thunder was cut off by Sunny who continued to ask questions.

“Do you need a license to fly? How far can you go?

“Can you fly to the moon?” Izzy asked.

“That'd be cool.” Zanna said.

“And yet illogical.” Mushroom put in.

“Do pegasi wear horseshoes, or do they just weigh you down?” the earth pony questioned some more.

“Well, I-I do collect sneakers.” Thunder admitted.

“Really? Are they Air J's?” Zanna inquired.

“H-H-Hey, hey! Don’t answer anything!” Zoom interrupted, before whispering to her partner, “They could be spies.”

“Hey, relax, Zoom, we're just travelers trying to make conversation. Lighten up,” Zanna spoke up calmly, before whispering to Thunder, “Your partner's really stuffy.”

“I know.” Thunder replied only for Zoom to stare at him shutting him up.

Suddenly the group gasped before looking out the elevator to see Zephyr Heights in all its glory.

“It's like New York.” Zanna gasped.

"Wild.” Zink admitted.

Indeed Zephyr Heights was a metropolis compared to Maretime Bay. All around the pegasi were walking about with some on their phones. From a video screen on a building were two news anchor ponies ready to deliver news to all the citizens.

“Good morning, Zephyr Heights! I'm Skye, and this is Dazzle.” the first greeted.

“Good morning!” Dazzle greeted, as Skye continued.

“It’s another beautiful day in the big city. Looks like warm breezes and clear skies for tonight’s royal celebration.”

“Royal Celebration?” Lita asked curiously.

“Talk about great timing.” Izzy smiled.

Dazzle continued, “Tonight’s royal bash for Queen Haven will be stunning. But the real jewel in the crown will be Princess Pipp’s performance! Isn’t that right, Skye?”

“Oh, my, yes, Dazzle. And this just in—an exclusive vid from Pipp, for all you loyal fans out there in ZH.”

The pegasi stopped and looked up at the screen seeing a live video streaming featuring a pegasus mare. She had a pink coat framed from the shoulders up. Purple mane/tail, the former falling in shoulder-length waves down the right side of her head; a thin gold tiara or headband marked with a jeweled cluster of feathers above the left ear; bright green eyes with purple brows. And her wings looked very feathery.

“What is up, everypony? Big shout-out to all my fans, the Pippsqueaks,” she began, as foals squeal in anticipation while some adults watch on phones, “So tonight’s the night. I can’t wait to debut my new song later. It has a very special place in my heart, but—not as much as you guys!”

“Awww…” the crowd went.

“We love you so much, Pipp!” one of them cheered.

“Okay, guys, I love you lots. Gotta go,” Pipp fluttered her wings, “Pipp, Pipp, hooray!”

“Pipp, Pipp, hooray!” The crowd cheered.

Izzy, Zanna, Thunder, and Zoom cheered, “Pipp, Pipp, hooray!”

Sunny and the others looked to their friends as Zink spoke to her sister, “Seriously?”

“Just being supportive.” Zanna replied with a shrug.

“And she's royalty after all.” Izzy reminded her.

The elevator reached the top floor as Zoom announced to the group, “Move it!”

“Yeah-yeah, we're moving.” Zink grumbled before whispering to Lita, “You better be right about this.”

They pressed on as Sunny looked around seeing all the pegasi were walking instead of flying with their wings.

“Do you see anypony flying here?” she asked Lita.

“Not a one.” she replied.

Izzy gasped as they looked up at the castle, “They have a castle!”

“Well, they do have a queen and princess. So obviously.” Mushroom reminded her.

As they were escorted inside a throne room where there were three red-upholstered seats with the center one being bigger.

“Wow!” Izzy gasped.

“Bow before our queen!” Thunder ordered.

Some guards played fanfare on trumpets as more guards standing side by side the group bowed followed by Zoom and Thunder. The group looked and saw a small winged dog with fluffy white fur emerge onto the dais and sit imperiously before the central seat. The silence is broken only by his effort to scratch a troublesome spot.

“What the?” Lita began.

“Your majesty!” Izzy declared before bowing.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Zink asked in disbelief.

A shaft of sunlight falls onto the dog from above, causing him to yip happily and jump in place. Sunny and Lita looked upward with a gasp, prodding Izzy and the others at the same time to get her upright and watching. Three figures swoop in through a circular aperture in the high, domed ceiling above the dais, and slowly descend toward it. Two of which was Pipp and the pegasus they ran into outside the city, and third and older one was their mother Queen Haven who wore a crown with a lovely crystal piece.

As they descended down they landed before their individual seats. Izzy spoke in the one pegasus' direction, “Hi, new friend!”

The pegasus seeing it was them shook her head nervously reminding them of promising to have not seen her before. They nodded and made a zip gesture across their lips.

The Queen addressed her guards, “Guards, state your business. And please make it quick. We’re on a very tight schedule today. Before the celebration, Cloudpuff needs his pedicure— Pipp needs to rehearse—and I need to practice my laugh,” she gave a loud forced laugh making the ninja girls cringe, “Hmmm... Still not right.”

Zoom spoke up, “Your Highness, we found these intruders in our territory.”

Haven looked towards the group identified as intruders and stammered aghast, “An earth pony and a unicorn…in Zephyr Heights!”

“We have them under control your highness!” Zoom assured her.

“O-Oh, a-and we deployed the shield!” Thunder added.

The queen still unnerved noticed Lita and her sisters, “And-and how're they standing like that? What are they?”

Her one daughter who the girls met before spoke up, “Well, based off what they're wearing they look like ninjas.”

“Ninjas?” Haven gasped in shock.

“That's correct.” Lita answered truthfully.

Haven was still not liking this, “Is this an attack? On the night of our royal celebration? Why are you here? Who sent you? (Gasp.) Nopony must know they’re here!”

But no sooner, Pipp was already on her phone launching another live stream to the ponies of Zephyr Heights, “Check it out, Pippsqueaks. Live, from the castle…”

The citizens watched the screen from the building seeing Sunny and Izzy who waved, “It's a real unicorn and earth pony!” upon seeing them, the onlookers gasped, “I know, right? This is so not a filter. And check these out,” she moved her phone to capture the ninja girls on screen where Zanna waved, “Ponies standing on their back legs! And get this, they are ninjas! Isn't that exciting?!”

“Great now we're public.” Zink crossed her arms.

“But this means we're famous now.” Zanna noted.

“I don't think this is the good kind of famous.” Mushroom replied.

Haven came into view and ordered Pipp, “Pipp!” she took the phone and turned to speak to those viewing, “There’s nothing to fear. Those nasty little ponies have been captured. Your Queen will protect you. Shut it off.”

Haven ended the feed and tossed the phone back to Pipp. Sunny laid out her journal deciding to get to the bottom of things, “Excuse me, M-Majesty? Um, we only want to ask you a few questions about magic.”

“We need to-” Lita was cut off by Haven.

“Guards! Please escort these ponies to the dungeon until I can question them properly! And confiscate the book and their weapons!” Zoom yanked the journal it from Sunny’s grip, as Thunder and some others took the girls weapons.

“Hey, give those back!” Mushroom ordered.

“But—but, Your Majesty, I just wanted to ask you a few questions!” Sunny pleaded, until Zink shouted.

“Hold it!” this caught the three royals attention, “We came all this way to get answers out of you, and you're arresting us before even hearing us out?! That is not very regal is it?!”

Haven blinked before speaking to one of the guards, “Better put a muzzle on that one. Such a temper.”

The three royals lifted off back from where they came out from leaving the girls and ninjas in shock, “Well, that went well.” Mushroom said sarcastically.

“Did she say dungeons?” Izzy asked nervously.

“Nice plan, Lita!” Zink grumbled.

“Well, it got us here didn't it?” Lita argued.

“And now we're being arrested!”

Sunny sighed, “What else could go wrong today?”

As if answering her question, back in Maretime Bay Sprout had plastered his face over one of the images of Hitch on the calendar he tore down. He was kicking back at Hitch's desk wearing his fake badge feeling good about himself.

Phyllis entered having once again escaped the crowd of earth ponies who were still frightened over what happened the other day.

“Mom?” he asked, as she took notice of her son.

“My, oh, my, aren’t you the handsome Sheriff? Look at you!”

“Yes. Yes, I am, Mommy.” Sprout replied bashfully with a laugh.

“Well, this is it. It is your time to shine, dear. Everypony wants to hear from you.”

“They do?”

Phyllis leaned closer to Sprout and spoke into his ear, “Of course! You are in charge now. It’s your destiny.” Sprout smiled ready to do what he always wanted to do.

Outside the office, the door kicked open as Sprout announced, “Citizens-” he was cut off as the door slammed right on him cutting him off. Sprout opened the door again and stepped outside, “It is I, Sheriff Sprout!”

“Sheriff?” Toots asked in confusion, “Where's Hitch?”

“We need a real sheriff!” one of the spectators spoke up.

“Tell us what's going on!”

“Hitch would know what to do!”

Phyllis stepped out and spoke up, “Come on now, everypony. Let’s listen to what our new Sheriff has to say,” after some silence, she nudged her son, “That's you, sugarcube.” she stepped aside giving him the floor again.

“Right that's me.” Sprout recalled.

“Everything’s gone wrong!”

“We’re doomed!”

“What’ll we do?”

Sprout spoke up to calm them, “Okay, folks, calm down. There’s no need to be scared.”

“We’re scared, and we want to be prepared!” Toots cried on the verge of tears.

Sparkle Chaser who was still wearing the goggles he modeled at the show was also in a panic, “The unicorns are coming! The unicorns are coming!” he tried running only to end up tripping again because of the goggles.

“Can anypony tell me where Hitch is?”

“What do we do?”

“What's your plan, Sheriff?” one asked Sprout.

“What if the unicorn and those bipedal ponies come back?” Another questioned.

Sprout letting all their panic and fear get to them started letting it consume him and thought of the worse, “Actually…what if you’re all right? The unicorns and those freaks could come back! They could even bring the pegasi! We are all in danger!” the ponies gasped, “Now is not the time to be complacent! We should do something!”

Rock music started playing all around, while Sprout was darting from one pony to another as he began to sing.

Sprout: Something is lurking, something is near

Something is feeling stranger, stranger

Stirring up discord, whipping up fear

Sweets, who was blowing a bubble from a wad of gum, is startled into letting it pop.

Sprout: (softly) Danger, danger

Sprout whisks an ice cream cone from a foal’s grip and sticks it briefly to his forehead for a horn.

Sprout: Outsiders creep up slow and steady

Wings glistening, horns at the ready

Think what they could do the status quo

Phyllis: Oh, no

He stomped a toy house flat, to the dismay of the two youths playing with it, then appears on a wall of television sets so that all the screens together make up his head.

Sprout: They’re gonna steal, plunder, and pillage

They’re gonna take over the village

He bucks the armchair out from under a pony who has dozed off watching TV at home, then turns to a couple and their toddler eating a meal in their kitchen.

Don’t just sit on your butts and do nothing and wait

Let’s enter a blind irrational state

The foal throws a sippy cup and food aside, splattering the latter all over the camera lens; the mess drains away to frame Sprout addressing the crowd outside Hitch’s office as a rising whoop drifts up from them.

Sprout: Better get nervous, better get tense

The stallion who dived over the railing during Izzy’s visit just now muscled his way back up, but loses his hold and goes into the drink again.

Better not let them catch you blinking

You don’t need a reason, fillies and gents

Sprout was soon addressing a crowd through a bullhorn from atop a moving trolley.

Sprout: This is no time for sober thinking

Mob

Spectator 1: Mob?

Sprout: M-m-mob-mob

Spectator 2: Mob?

Spectator 3: Mob?

Sprout: Angry, angry

Mob

Ponies: Mob, m-m-mob, mob

Mob, mob, angry, angry

The new sheriff stepped up to a microphone on a stand under a green light.

Sprout: Fight

See in black and white

That’s your pony right

Time to lift your manes and proudly

Sprout was standing on a tall pedestal marked with Hitch’s badge, he addresses the green-lit masses.

Throng

Numbers make you strong

Millions can’t be wrong

Especially when they’re screaming loudly

One spot washes past the camera and clears to frame him on a moving conveyor belt, watched by every local who can fit in the place.

You might not have

A bale of hay to borrow

Are you saddled with your sorrow?

Are you scared about tomorrow?

A clamp drops from the ceiling, closing around his midsection and hoisting him up onto the trolley, which rolls ahead on a set of roller-coaster tracks before plunging downhill.

Well, it’s all gonna work out painlessly

If you follow my orders brainlessly

The scene shifted to ride with the vehicle, rapidly closing in on a set of posters hung up across the track to form caricature of the ninja ponies. As this fills the view and the eyes burn white, cut to Sprout leading a steadily growing multitude of disgruntled ponies through the streets of Maretime Bay.

Sprout: What are we?

Ponies: We’re an angry mob!

Sprout: What are we?

Ponies: We’re an angry mob!

Spout spotted an ear of corn on a stalk.

Sprout: Look at this corn!

Ponies: It’s on the cob!

He eyed a stallion in a hat.

Sprout: Look at that guy!

Hat stallion: Um, my name’s Rob.

Sprout’s new supporters head-bang and march in time through the unwholesome green light, a giant image of his head slowly swiveling to gaze upon them. The view soon shifts to a zoom along a tunnel of horseshoe arches and larger-than-life copies of Sprout.

Sprout, Ponies: Mob, mob, m-m-mob, mob

Mob, mob, angry, angry

Mob, mob, m-m-mob, mob

Mob, mob, angry, angry

Even Hitch’s three critter buddies get in on the act as an ice cream stand is capsized; by this point, the sky has gone that same sick emerald hue. The ponies sing the first three of the previous four lines again, with each of the following lines laid over one of theirs as he leads them through the town.

Sprout: Mob, mob, mob, mob

Mob, mob, mob, mob

There was a close-up, zooming out quickly to put Sprout on the roof of Hitch’s office and the locals in the street, all spoiling for a fight.

Ponies: Mob, mob

Sprout, Ponies: Angry, angry mob

Hidden Secrets

A wall of spotlights ignites, gradually brightening to illuminate a pegasus figure standing before viewers on a stage with wings folded as heavenly voices and strings provide accompaniment. The scene was in black and white, and as the feathery limbs extend, the camera cuts close enough to frame their owner being Princess Pipp, who turns her head to glance alluringly over her shoulder. From here, cut to a long overhead shot of her galloping along a beach in slow motion; a stallion’s voice is heard, speaking with a heavy French accent.

“This princess smells,” a close up of Pipp lifts off and glides against the setting sun, “So could you.”

On the stage again; she flies a circle around a giant perfume bottle and pulls into a hover above its gold stopper. The bottle is in full color and is labeled 'La Pipp—Zephyr'.

“Parfum La Pipp.”

It zoomed out to reveal the entire sequence was a commercial playing on a wall mounted screen in Zephyr Heights. Below it was a barred window where Sunny was gazing forlornly out from it, as Lita looked out with her.

"Sunny, something is not right here." Lita told the earth pony.

"I know, Lita. We haven't seen a single pony fly. Except the royal family." Sunny noted.

"It doesn't add up." Lita added.

"Izzy, girls? Are you listening?" Sunny asked.

Turned out, Izzy, Zink, Zanna, and Mushroom were sitting in massage recliners, with cucumber slices over their eyes and sipping drinks. The dungeon was more like a luxurious room.

"This isn't dungeony at all." Izzy said all relaxed.

"Hey, if this is torture, then chain me to the wall!" Zanna agreed, as she took a sip of her drink.

"You got to admit, for being fearful of other pony tribes, this Queen is very hospitable to prisoners." Mushroom noted.

"I have a feeling we may be the first prisoners this place ever had." Zink suspected.

"I can believe that." Sunny agreed.

"There's got to be a way to get out of this place and reclaim our confiscated weapons." Lita said, as she tried to think.

“Hey!”

The group looked and saw Queen Haven's daughter from before standing on the other side of the dungeon bars.

“You?” Zink asked.

“I’m sorry you all got thrown in here.” she began.

“Yeah, I mean what's up with your mom not even willing to hear us out?” Zanna asked, getting off her recliner.

“Mom's just super paranoid,” she replied, “But I have to talk to you all.”

“Princess?” Sunny asked.

Izzy began acting formal, “Your Majestic-ness…Your-Your-Your Graceful Highness! I-”

“Zipp!” The pegasus cut her off, “Call me Zipp.”

“Okay, Zipp,” Sunny began, “I'm Sunny, and this is...”

“Izzy Moonbow!” Izzy introduced herself.

“I'm Lita, and these are my sisters.”

“Zink.”

“Zanna.”

“Mushroom.”

Zipp nodded, “Sunny, Izzy, Lita, Zink, Zanna, Mushroom. I really need to ask you something important,” she did a quick look around making sure the coast was clear and whispered to them, “About magic.”

“That's why we're here!” Sunny gasped.

“Yeah, maybe you can tell us how yours works?” Zanna asked.

“Izzy has no idea how the unicorns lost theirs, so we thought maybe—“ Mushroom was cut off by Zipp.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. “Lost theirs”? As in, no magic?” the group gave a shake of their heads, “Well, that changes things. Listen. I might have some information that could help, but first…” she reached under her wing, “You need to tell me about this.” she revealed she had Sunny's journal making the earth pony gasp.

“My journal!” she accepted it back, “Thank you, Zipp! I-I never thought I’d see it again.”

“And here, I believe these belong to you girls.” Zipp fished around and pulled out their ninjas weapons.

“Alright!” Zink cheered, as they took their weapons back.

“Thanks, Zipp. Clever of you to retrieve them.” Lita said impressed.

“Yeah, I can be pretty sneaky when I want to be.” she answered cockily.

“Nice! I’m—I’m only medium sneaky.” Izzy confessed.

“So where did that come from?” Zipp asked Sunny.

“It was my father’s. Why?”

“That star.” Zipp motioned to Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark symbol on the journal.

“Why's it important?” Mushroom wondered.

Before any could answer, the sound of fanfare played alerting them. The fanfare was played by pegasi guards who were actually using trumpet apps on their phones. They started rolling out a carpet as Princess Pipp was trotting down. Sunny quickly hid her journal, while the ninjas hid their weapons from view.

Pipp arrived and spoke to her sister, “Zipp, what are you doing here?” she then spoke under her breath, “Mom said to stay away.”

“Riiiight. Then why are you here?” Zipp challenged her.

Pipp scoffed before bringing out her phone, “For the content.” she took another snap of herself while behind her Izzy grinned before dragging a protesting Sunny and the ninjas so they were in the shot.

“By the way, girls. Love your masks.” Pipp told the ninjas.

“Thank you.” Lita said being respectful.

“Uh, Princess, why isn't anypony flying?” Sunny asked her.

“Yeah, what's the point in having them if they don't use them?” Zanna wondered.

Pipp gasped by that question before composing herself with a casual laugh as she stows away her phone and turns to them.

“E-Everypony knows that only royals can fly, of course.”

“What?!” the prisoners gasped.

“That makes no sense!” Mushroom said confused.

“I know, it’s not fair. But that’s just the way it is,” Pipp flapped a bit, “If there was some way we could teach the citizens to fly, you know we would in a wingbeat. Right, Zipp?

“Yeah. In a wingbeat.” Zipp answered glumly.

The group looked at each other still confused, as Pipp's phone vibrated, “Oh, dress rehearsals. Got to go!” she spoke to her sister under her breath, “And so should you.”

She began to practice her singing, “Mi-mi-miiii! Red feather, yellow feather, red feather, yellow feather.” she trotted off as the guards followed her while rolling the carpet back up.

When Zipp was alone with the group again, she spoke to them, “I have to show you all something.”

She went to a scanner mounted on the wall next to the cell and puts a front hoof to it; a flash of recognized identity, and the bars swiftly retract into the ceiling.

“Finally!” Zink said in relief.

Zipp hurried off up the corridor and out of sight even before Sunny and Izzy can gasp in delight, “You coming or what?” she asked them.

“Let's go!” Lita ordered as they hurried.

“Jailbreak!” Zanna cheered.

Sunny followed, while Izzy was about to, but stopped and glanced back toward the fruit bowl in their cell. She grabbed an orange from it and replaced it with the tennis ball she had on her horn before snickering.

Meanwhile back at the mountain outside Zephyr Heights by the edge of a cliff were several creatures nibbling at the sparse tufts of grass. They scattered as one of Hitch’s forelegs heaves into view beyond the precipice and hooks into the stony ground so he can drag himself up. Collapsing onto his belly with a tired groan, he was more than a bit surprised to find the critters hopping his way.

“Huh?” he asked, before they looked at Hitch cooing and nuzzled his cheeks happily putting him into a mildly foul mood, but he looked ahead and instantly snapped out of it with a gasp. He spotted one of the pro-unicorn stickers Sunny was putting up around Maretime Bay while on her way to the Canterlogic show.

“Litter,” he said grimly, before correcting himself, “I mean, a clue!” he then spotted one of Izzy's hair snagged on a branch, and peered intently at it, “Hmmm... unicorn hair.”

Then he spotted one of Zipp's feathers lying loose on the rocky plateau, picked it up, and gave it a lick to evaluate the taste, “Pegasi.”

He trotted determinedly away along the ridge. Throughout this sequence, he has completely failed to notice the slowly gathering knot of cute little furballs behind him. Hitch pressed one ear to a rock face, “Track's gone cold.” turned out he was pressing it against the ground, before getting back up.

He started to gently chide, “Sunny, Sunny, Sunny, Sunny. You think you’ve escaped?” he chuckled and shook his head, “Well, think again. I will not eat! I will not sleep! Well, maybe a quick nap and a snack if I can’t find you in the next few hours. But after that, nothing will stop me!”

He then realize he had an audience of critters who gathered together and applauded and cheered for him.

Hitch appreciating the attention smiled with a chuckle and bowed to them, “Oh! Thank you, thank you. No, no, no, you’re too kind,” he ceased his levity and spoke firmly, “I’ll follow you wherever you go! Whether harshest deserts!” the critters gasped, “The coldest tundras! No trail too dangerous, no clue too small.”

He then stood with his back to the clouds at this point, he did not see them gradually clear to expose a bunch of giant screens mounted on buildings just beyond the ridge. Each carries a “BREAKING NEWS” banner and a mug shot of each of the escapees—a put-out Sunny with Lita expressing the same expression, a grinning Izzy, Zanna waving, Mushroom embarrassed, and Zink frowning.

“The past matters not! It’s justice!” Hitch continued before groaning from the critters chatter, “What, what?”

As one, they voice a loud coo and point their ears past him. Taking the hint to look behind him, he looked and got a eyeful of the group he was looking for on the screens.

“Gotcha.” he said grimly.

Back at the castle, Zipp opened a ventilation grate as Sunny, Izzy, and the ninjas peeked down through the opening.

“What's down here?” Lita asked Zipp.

“You'll find out,” she replied before dropping down the opening into a gondola hanging from two sets of cables strung over pulleys. Landing neatly in the craft, she addresses the others, “Watch your step!”

Sunny and Izzy landed wobbly, as Lita and her sisters landed perfectly.

“Like a ninja do.” Zanna boasted.

Zipp threw a switch as the gondola was being lowered down closer to the floor. The group found themselves inside a great hall as part of a transportation hub. And with the state of the draperies and banners from being covered in dust or tarps covering them it hadn't been used in such a long time.

“Where are we?” Sunny asked Zipp, as they descend the ramp.

“It's amazing, right?” Zipp asked, “I’m pretty sure it was some sort of station.”

“Like the Grand Central Terminal back home.” Mushroom marveled.

Zipp continued, “I believe this was used when earth ponies and unicorns used to visit Zephyr Heights. But it's like everypony forgot.”

“Used to visit?” Lita spoke up.

“So then...” Mushroom pondered, as Sunny walked up to a poster advertising Maretime Bay and looked up at another advertising Bridlewood where Izzy lives.

“This is proof!” she cheered, “All pony kinds used to be friends! My dad was right.”

“Yeah, this was the Equestria we were hoping to see. Not all this divided and paranoia against other tribes racket.” Lita told the three ponies.

They walked over to Zipp who gave a pensive glare at another poster depicting a famous group of pegasi from old Eqeustria.

“Wonderbolts.” Zanna gasped.

“I wonder what happened to the team?” Mushroom wondered.

“Must be really weird being the only pegasi that can fly.” Sunny told Zipp.

Zipp let out a heavy sigh, “Actually, we can't fly either. We've been faking it.”

Izzy drew out a long gasp, as Sunny spoke equally surprised, “Faking it?!”

“But how?” Mushroom asked.

“And why?” Lita wondered.

“You’d be surprised what some wires and good lighting will do,” Zipp began, “And it's mom's way of giving hope to the citizens.”

“By lying to them?” Zink asked incredulously.

“I know. I’m so tired of living that ridiculous lie! That’s why I come down here, to get away from all of that!” And, well…to do this.” she smirked.

A few galloping strides allowed her to build up the momentum for a nimble leap; she landed on a switch and triggered it, pushing off as a cluster of upward-angled fans whirs to life. They stand around a much larger, floor-mounted unit and are set to direct their output air streams into its own. Zipp’s secondary bound deposited her dead center above the main unit, and she lets it propel her upward while spreading her wings to full length and laughing joyously. She rose toward the banks of skylights that stretch the length of the station’s arched ceiling and executes a loop that carried her out through the open entrance between the stained-glass windows and back.

“Wow!” Sunny gasped.

“Wild!” Zanna cheered.

“Not bad.” Zink smirked.

"Amazing." Lita crossed her arms impressed.

"Incredible." Mushroom marveled.

“Whoa!” Izzy gasped, while Zipp was lost in airborne rapture, “Her sparkle is so bright right now!”

Zipp then came in for a landing as the fans shut off, “But that’s not why I brought you down here,” she pointed upward, “This is what I wanted to show you.”

They looked to see two pairs of tall stain glass windows with an opening in the middle that looked like it should have one as well. Above them was a horizontal window section above the assembly is a copy of Twilight’s cutie mark.

“Oh, my stars!” Sunny gasped, before glancing down at her journal seeing it was the same mark.

“Is it?” Zanna asked her sisters.

“No doubt.” Mushroom confirmed.

'Twilight's cutie mark.' Lita thought.

“This was made a long, long time ago,” Zipp explained, “When we still had magic.”

“It's beautiful!” Izzy smiled.

Sunny and the ninjas saw one of the windows depicted a pegasus, wings aglow, and tilt up slightly. Just above its head is an image of the green spread-wings jewel that Haven wears in her crown.

“What's that?” Sunny asked Zipp.

“That’s the Pegasus Crystal. It’s part of my mom’s crown.”

They looked to the other window depicting a unicorn standing tall with horn lifted and alight, and tilt up. The spot overhead, matching the location of the Pegasus Crystal on the other side, has been smashed out.

“Where's the Unicorn Crystal?” Mushroom asked.

Zanna while pacing walked past a cloth covering something. The glow from it caught her attention before pulling it off revealing it was the image of the Unicorn Crystal from the window.

“I found it!” she called.

Sunny, Lita, Zink, and Mushroom went over to her, “Nice one, Zanna.” Sunny smiled.

Lita looked down at the image of the Unicorn Crystal before seeing the reflection of the Pegasus Crystal shine down on the floor from the window.

“Hold it.” she said before dragging the image of the Unicorn Crystal over to the shadow placing it in the gasp between the stylized wings making the horn point project upward with a circular opening in the center.

“Look!” Sunny gasped.

“They fit?” Izzy asked surprised.

“These two crystals belong together.” Mushroom deduced.

“United!” Sunny cheered.

“So... what are you saying?” Zipp asked opened for an explanation.

Lita explained, “Maybe you lost your magic because the crystals were separated for a long time.”

Izzy thought, “So, if we put them back together…”

Zipp finished, “…Magic will return?”

“And all three pony kinds will get along again!” Sunny replied excited.

Mushroom stared at the crystals, “Of course. It could bring the balance of all three pony tribes together in harmony.”

Izzy cheered, “Whoa-ho-ho-ho-ho!”

Zipp cheered, “All right!”

Zink cheered, “Sweet!”

Zanna cheered, “Oh yeah!”

Zipp groaned, “Aw, but what about the Unicorn Crystal?”

Izzy answered, “Well, if you’re looking for crystals, we’ve got, like, a gazillion of them back in Bridlewood.”

Zanna replied, “Bridlewood. That’s where you and all the unicorns live, right?”

Izzy nodded, “Yep.”

Sunny declared, “Then that’s where we’ll go next. After we get the Pegasus crystal from your mom of course.”

“Ooh, that’ll be tricky.” Zipp cringed.

“Tricky?” Zink said in disbelief, “Oh come on, Zipp. It’ll be easy. What’s the big deal?”

“Well, for one, Zink, she uh… never takes her crown off.” Zipp answered.

The ninjas and the two ponies stared with wide eyes at Zipp as if it was a joke.

Zanna spoke dryly, “You’re kidding me, right?”

Zipp shook her head, “Nope.”

Zipp was right. Queen Haven was asleep in bed and snoring loudly, with Cloudpuff tucked in beside her; both are wearing sleep masks over their eyes with the crown on her head. Next she takes a hot shower, standing in a stall that rises to shoulder level with the crown still on her head. She sings to herself.

Haven: Keeping the Queen clean…

Another time she was wearing swim goggles, she snaps a rubber cap into place over her mane and the crown to boot— launching herself off a diving board to do a cannonball into a pool.

Zink face palmed herself, “Well, that’s just great.”

Mushroom groaned, “I’m afraid your mom is a total drama queen than we thought.”

Zipp groaned while looking down, “Yeah, tell me about it.”

She then felt Lita’s hand resting on her shoulder and heard her calmly said, “Families can be tough, Zipp. Believe me, I know. But I promise you this. When this is over, your mother will come to understand. You’ll see.”

Zipp feeling much better spoke with a smile, “I hope you’re right. Thanks Lita.”

“So what do we do?” Sunny asked, as they all started to think of how to get the crystal from her crown.

Zipp spoke up, “I got it! Pipp’s performing at tonight’s royal celebration. All eyes will be on her—especially my mom’s. She’ll be distracted. So, we just need to swap the real crown with a fake.”

“Ooh, nice one.” Zanna said mischievously.

“Ooh, I can craft a decoy!” Izzy offered, “But I will need a box of macaroni, a tube of glue, fourteen gooey bunnies, and three jellybeans,” she stopped instantly and talked in a 'I mean business' tone, “Oh, and glitter. Lots of glitter.”

Zanna volunteered, “I’ll help you. I’m very crafty when it comes to art.”

“I’d love that!” Izzy giggled as she embraced her, “Thanks, Zanna.”

Zanna giggled, “No problem, girl.”

Lita looked around seeing the girls excited to plan a heist to get the Pegasus Crystal while thinking, 'Sensei's, we're on the right path to restoring magic to Equestria.'

Growing Friendships

The next morning, the five ponies and four mutant ninjas had made it out of Zephyr Heights and started walking a flowery meadow while looking upon a tree of pink blossoms.

“Pretty.” Zanna marveled.

“That's the tree from the map,” Sunny explained, “That means... it's this way!” she points in a direction as the group followed her head.

Trailing behind the group was Hitch and Pipp who both did not look happy to be on this journey, “What am I even doing here? Hoofing it across daisy fields, looking for a magical crystal that doesn’t even exist!” Hitch grumbled to himself, while Pipp was grumbling her own frustrations.

“It was supposed to be my best show ever, and now it’s all over. I’m a criminal! (bitterly) And it’s all because of-”

“Them!” the two of them announced together.

“And that is so not cool.” Pipp grumbled.

“No, it is not,” Hitch agreed, before pausing in surprise, “Did I just agree with a pegasus?”

Lita who was close by passed him, “Yes. Yes, you did.” she smirked. Hitch scowled at her cheeky tone.

Pipp went to her sister, “Hey, are you sure she even knows where to find this other crystal?”

“Don't you trust me, at all?” Zipp asked.

“I don't know...you are the one who just got mom thrown in jail!!” Pipp reminded her.

Zink walked by, “Well, to be fair, you and your mom did lie to every Pegasus in Zephyr Heights about you three being the only ones who possessed the power to fly whilst forcing Zipp to do the same.”

Mushroom spoke up, “She's right, a real leader must know when to be honest among its team, as well as the kingdom they rule. If they give nothing but false promises, then everything will fall apart to ruin.”

Pipp shot the two a glare, “Not helping.”

Zipp sighed, “Look, once we get our magic back, the whole kingdom would be so excited, they won't even remember what happened back there. You'll be a hero Pipp.”

Zink nodded, “She's right. The Pegasi would look up to the pony who helped them gain what they lost long ago. And you'll be famous among your uh...dedicated fans.”

“And if all pony kinds learn to live together your fanbase could quadruple if you gain fans in unicorns and earth ponies.” Zanna tempted her.

Pipp hearing that started to imagine how much bigger her fanbase would grow if not limited to pegasi alone, “Well...when you put it that way."

“Also...whilst we're also talking about honesty. Given how you always try to please folks, it's no wonder you don't have any real friends.” Zink noted.

Pipp did a double take losing her good mood, “What's that supposed to mean?!”

“I just call it like I see it.” Zink shrugged.

Mushroom spoke to ease the tension, “Uh, what she means is...during our Masters' time when they were young, they and their friends encountered someone who was also obsessed with fame and trying to be better, as well as her em...BYBB philosophy.”

Pipp paused, “Wait, Be Yourself But Better?”

“That's right,” Mushroom confirmed, “And as one of our masters' friends once said "Perfection is unknowable. It's impossible, but it's also right in front of us all the time.", meaning you've been so obsessed into being "perfect" for your fans, you failed to realize what they really wanted, what was right in front of you.”

Pipp hearing those words started remembering the longing on the other pegasi's faces, “I...I never thought about that.”

Mushroom nodded, “Another lesson our masters taught us. Sometimes we need to take a step back, in order to see the bigger picture.”

As Mushroom and Zink walked a bit ahead, Pipp and Zipp looked at each other, feeling strangely moved by it.

“Huh...well how about that?” Zipp asked her sister.

At the same time, Hitch attempted to talk to Sunny, “Let's get this one thing straight.”

“We're almost at the river everypony!” Sunny addressed the travelers, as Hitch continued.

“After this whole escapade is over with, You're gonna march back home to Maretime Bay, with me, is that clear?”

“Crystal.” she replied not effected by consequences.

“Jeez, Hitch, you're such a busybody.” Zanna said annoyed.

“Hey! I'll have you know this badge, means that I...” he realized he wasn't wearing his badge anymore, “No, no, no, no!! Where's my badge!!” he spotted Izzy, “Hey, you!! I know Unicorns like shiny things.”

Lita sighed, “Really? Your badge goes missing and you automatically blame Izzy? You are so immature.”

Izzy thought about something, “Oh, you know. I think I did see a shiny badgy thing on the ground a few hours ago.”

“What? Hours?!” Hitch asked in shock.

“Well, maybe that was for the best. Between you and me buddy,” Izzy whispered to him, “That badge was creating an unhealthy power dynamic.” Izzy then skips and sings a tune, whilst Hitch stands there completely baffled.

“Welcome to the circle of citizens 'sheriff'.” Zanna chuckled.

“Look, there's a bridge!” Lita motioned ahead.

They headed towards a stone bridge meant to extend over a ravine, only for them to discover the bridge was broken in the middle leaving a colossal gap between both sides.

“Oh, great!” Zink grumbled.

“There's no way we can jump that far.” Lita noted.

“And there are no trees close enough on the other side for our grappling hooks to stick too.” Mushroom added.

“What're we gonna do?” Sunny asked.

“Any ideas, Zipp?” Pipp asked snidely.

“You know what would be great right now? Let me think,” she spread her wings, and finished annoyed, “Maybe something like the ability to fly!”

“You know what would be even better? Not being stuck in the middle of nowhere as outcasts from our own kingdom!” Pipp argued.

Hitch just spoke casually over the sibs squabbling, “Oh, well, that’s the end of that. Time to go home. I wish I could say it was nice meeting all of you, but it wasn’t.”

“Rude!” Zanna frowned.

Hitch ignored her and spoke to his friend, “Come on, Sunny.”

As argument rose from the pegasi sisters, to Hitch getting on the ninjas nerves, Sunny was feeling the pressure before announcing, “Everypony, stop!”

That silenced the squabblers while unaware of Izzy walking towards a tree near the bridge. Lita went to Sunny to calm her, “Easy, Sunny. Deep breaths. It's how we were trained to calm our nerves.”

Sunny took deep breaths before she felt calmer, “Thanks,” she spoke to the others calmly, “I know it's been a rough night for a lot of us, but squabbling like this won't get us anywhere. We're this close to finding a way to restore magic, and nothing's gonna stop us. Not even a broken bridge. We will find a way to the other side, find the crystal, and bring back magic,” she turned to each of the squabbling ponies, “And once we do... You'll get to fly. You'll get your fans back. And you'll have me in custody.”

This prompt smiles from them, as Lita spoke to Sunny, “Way to step up, Sunny.”

“But I don't think letting Hitch there take you into custody is necessary.” Zink noted making Hitch frown.

“Hey, where's Izzy?” Zanna asked, before the sound of a crash was heard.

They looked to see Izzy who while the group was arguing used her horn to saw the tree she was by making it fall over turning into a makeshift bridge for them to the other side.

“Ta-daaaaa!” she declared.

“All right!” Zipp cheered.

“Way to go, Izzy!” Zanna jumped in excitement.

“Ah, great.” Hitch said sourly.

“Come on, everypony.” Sunny declared, as they crossed the tree bridge making it to the other side.

As Zanna walked behind she looked up to the sky to her left once again seeing the stallion still drifting with his Earth Pony Balloon Escape Pack. She once again waved his way hoping he saw her.

When nighttime came, the group stopped and made camp at the base of a big rock and Zipp and Mushroom started a campfire.

"Oh, yeah! Nailed it!" Izzy cheered.

"Booyah!" Zanna added.

"You rock, girls!" Zink said.

Hitch sat alone. He didn't want to be anywhere near the unicorn and the two pegasi. And he especially didn't want to be near the ninjas. Growling, he tried to light his own campfire, but was having no luck. "Come on, stupid stick." he complained.

Zipp called over, "You need some backup, sheriff?"

"Cause it sure looks like you do." Mushroom added.

"No! Thank you. I've got it," Hitch insisted, then he grumbled to himself, "Come on... If only I had a match..." Finally a small flame lit. "Hah!" He shouted in triumph, only for the flame to fizzle out, and growled in frustration, especially when Zink and Zanna laughed.

"Oh, well, that was sad to watch," Zipp commented.

"He sure got it alright." Mushroom put in.

"Nice fire, sheriff!" Zink remarked.

"A real camping expert!" Zanna mocked, and the two laughed again.

"Come on, don't be a hero, dude," Zipp called, "Come get warm."

"It's better than being cold." Lita noted, but Hitch didn't budge. She sighed and shook her head. Then turning to Sunny, she asked, "How can you be friends with him?"

"I know Hitch has his... flaws, but he's really not a bad pony," Sunny explained, "I'll go talk to him." She got up and walked toward her friend, who was trying again to light a fire.

"Are you sure about all this?" Hitch asked, "Because if we just go back to Maretime Bay..."

"What have we got to lose?" Sunny inquired.

"By giving magic back to our enemies?" Hitch retorted. "Uh, let me think. I know – a lot!"

"Come on. Do they look like enemies to you?" Sunny motioned toward the other ponies.

"My sparkle is aquamarine?" Pipp asked after Izzy had said it to her, "That's, like, my sixth favorite color!"

"Well, I know for a fact those ninjas are enemies!" Hitch glared at Lita and her sisters.

"And why is that?" Sunny asked, nonchalant.

"Hmm, let's see, they attacked me-”

“Lita said, they just shoved you out of the way and they barely hit you!” Sunny argued.

“Well, the one punched me in the face!” Hitch continued to list off.

“We were in the middle of a heist to get the crystal and you would've jeopardized the mission.”

“Which went so well.” Hitch replied in sarcasm.

“Hitch!” Sunny snapped, “Will you stop being sheriff for one minute, and just be Hitch for once? Ever since you met them you kept treating them like they're monsters just because they're different. When they only retaliated against you because you provoked it out of them first. They have names and they have feelings, just like we do. Just because they're different from us, doesn't mean they're dangerous!"

"How can you be so sure of that?" Hitch questioned.

"Because they saved me and Izzy from those Hoof Bots," Sunny explained. "If they were as bad as you say, they wouldn't have bothered to do all that. Lita, Zink, Zanna, and Mushroom are friends, so are Izzy, Pipp, and Zipp. And I think you're open-minded enough to see that."

Hitch sighed and admitted, "I don't know. Maybe I should just go back to Maretime Bay where I'm needed."

"If that's what you want. But you should know I'm actually glad you're here, Hitch," Sunny said, "We all are." She walked back over to the others and nodded for him to join them.

As Sunny left to join the rest of the group around to fireplace leaving Hitch to himself, Lita looked over and walked up to him.

"Hitch." she began.

"What now?" Hitch asked in a groan.

"Let me ask you something, how did you become Sheriff of Maretime Bay?"

"Through hard work, dedication, and loyalty, of course." Hitch answered like it was obvious.

"Really?" Lita crossed her arms, "Because after what Sunny told me about how Maretime Bay really is, I don't think you've actually done anything worthy of that title."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hitch squinted.

"She told me the ponies there are all law abiding citizens, not because you keep it that way, but because they all share the same brainwashed belief that all other pony tribes are bad and they're the only good ones. Basically all you do is order ponies to pick up their litter."

"That's not true!" Hitch protested, "I mean I... I." Hitch tried to argue some more but started realizing despite all his talk and dedication to keeping Maretime Bay safe, he never actually did lock up any pony in their jail or anything. This started to make him doubt himself until Lita continued.

"I'm not trying to step on your hooves, but to give you the chance to actually do something good for not just yourself, but for all ponies. Even be a hero for once."

"A hero?" Hitch asked.

"Yes. Like it or not you've become a part of something much bigger than yourself and everything else could ever imagine. If you help us restore the magic to Equestria you'll go down in history as a hero who helped all ponykind. Think about it." Lita walked back over to the girls to join them around the fire.

Hitch deciding to swallow his pride got up and joined the girls around their fire, "Glad you could join us, Sheriff." Lita smiled.

"Yeah, whatever," Hitch muttered, "But if I have to journey with you outlaws, I at least want an apology from her!" He pointed at Zink.

"For what exactly?" Zink inquired.

"Oh, how about for assaulting back at that pegasi city!" Hitch recalled.

"It was one punch." Zink noted.

"And it hurt!" Hitch insisted.

"First of all, it was on impulse," Zink rebuffed, "And second, I ain't apologizing because you had it coming."

"For what reason do I deserve to get punched for?" Hitch demanded.

"I'll give you five," Zink listed off, "You tried to wrongfully arrest me and my sisters and labeled us outlaws when we did nothing wrong, and tried to do the same to Izzy. You told Sunny to abandon her beliefs instead of supporting her like a "real friend" would do. You stalked us all the way here. You accused Izzy of stealing your stupid badge without proof. And you act like a total hot shot!"

"Well, if you four had come along quietly, I wouldn't have to brand you outlaws." Hitch tried to justify.

Zink scoffed, "Typical black and white outlook cop."

"What is your deal?" Hitch asked.

Zink stood up and shot back, "My deal is that people like you, or in this case, ponies like you, who think people like me are freaks who should be locked up, cast out, or even destroyed just because we're different and don't bother to get to know us at all!" Zink then sat facing away from Hitch, crossing her arms.

"Whoa, uh, Zink, you okay?" Zipp asked.

"Your sparkle is really mad, but also very very sad." Izzy noted.

Zink's frown softened, "When I was kid, I learned the hard way that mutants aren't well liked. I wanted to befriend this cool group at our school and they seemed like they wanted to be my friends too. Or so I thought! They took me to the roller rink where they said they had a surprise for me. And when I got out in the rink, I found out what it was. They had gotten everyone in the rink to dump food and drinks all over me! Then the group picked me up and stuffed me in a garbage can! While live streaming the whole thing!"

"Wait, they did what?!" Zipp asked in shock.

"Harsh!" Pipp huffed.

"Everyone laughed at me and the group said the trash was where freaks like me belonged," Zink continued sadly, "And it got worse. One of the members brought in a police officer and said I had stolen his wallet and the officer arrested me without even bothering to search me!" Zink shot a look at Hitch, "Ringing any bells, sheriff?" Hitch was at a loss for words.

"I... I can't believe you were treated like that?" Sunny said in shock.

"Believe it," Zink replied. "But surprisingly, this story has a happy ending. The next day, the group started heckling me and tried to stuff me in a garbage can again, until they were chased off by two of my now friends, Trisha Campbell, and Shadow Jones. I was skeptical at first, but they showed me that they were real."

Lita nodded, “It's all true.”

“Whoa.” Hitch gasped starting to see things through the ninjas perspective.

“So while we're on the topic, Lita,” Zipp began, “What are you and your sisters really?”

“Some other pony tribe Equestria forgot about?” Pipp wondered.

“Nothing like that,” Lita replied, “My sisters and I are actually mutants.”

“Mutants?” Pipp asked, as Zipp was just as curious.

Mushroom nodded, “That's right. In fact where we're from we're not really ponies.”

“Then what are you?” Izzy asked.

Lita answered, “I'm actually an albino turtle.”

“A turtle?” Zipp raised a brow.

“That's right.”

Zink spoke on behalf of herself, Zanna, and Mushroom, “And the three of us, we're actually weasels.”

“Weasels?” Pipp asked.

“Well, that explains a lot.” Hitch muttered.

“So where did you come from?” Zipp wondered.

“To understand our origin, we need to go back to the beginning,” Lita began, “Before us. Before all of you.”

Mushroom reached into her bag and pulled out a circular device that projected above it holograms of the turtles.

“Who are they?” Izzy gasped.

“Our senseis.” Zink answered, as Lita explained.

“It all started with four turtles, mutant brothers. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo.”

The device showed each turtle alone performing ninja moves awing the other ponies.

“Once four ordinary turtles until they were adopted by a kind human man named Hamato Yoshi who moved from Japan to New York City, where he adopted them as babies from a local pet shop. As he exited he caught sight of someone suspicious and proceeded to investigate. He discovered this person was making a trade off with this canister containing a green glowing substance called mutagen. But Yoshi gave himself away when he stepped on a nearby rat alerting the two people. A fight broke out and in the process the canister shattered causing Yoshi and the baby turtles to be covered with the mutagen. The mutagen affected their DNA, and Yoshi was transformed into a mutant version of the last organic thing he came into contact with.”

The hologram showed Master Splinter surprising the pegasus sisters, “A rat?” Pipp gasped.

“Yes. And the mutagen had mutated the turtles into human like beings. Because of Yoshi's new appearance he fled to the sewers before taking the turtles with. Over time their minds had begun developing a form of human intelligence thanks to the ooze. Yoshi knew eventually they would desire to go up to the surface, but he also knew they wouldn't survive. So he trained them in the art of ninjitsu so that when they were ready they would be able to defend themselves. It was there Yoshi would be known to them as...”

“Master Splinter.” Sunny spoke up.

“You know?” Zink asked her surprised.

“It was part of my dad's research.” she explained.

“Wow.” Zanna gasped.

“Your dad really must've known a lot.” Lita said.

“He wanted to prove to everypony that all three pony tribes were once united. So he did his research and even uncovered the truth that a group of mutant ninja warriors once walked our very world.” Lita nodded to Sunny, as she continued.

“And so the four brothers ventured forth out into the city known as New York City, where they made many friends and allies.”

They saw the hologram depicting such people as April O'Neil, Casey Jones, Karai, Shini, other mutants, even a bunch of girls that bore a striking resemblance to the old figurines of the mane six Sunny's dad made her which got her attention.

“Together, they fought many enemies, from ninjas, aliens, mutants, monsters...”

They saw such examples included Foot Bots, the Kraang, Triceratons, Rahzar, and even Kavaxas.

“But their greatest enemy was none other than... the Shredder.”

The hologram depicted Shredder who performed ninja moves on a whole other level which surprised the ponies.

“The Shredder?” Zipp asked.

“Those blades look sharp.” Pipp feared.

“Well, he probably never has to look for a can opener.” Izzy joked.

“The Shredder was their most challenging and vilest of enemies. Especially since he was once friends with Master Splinter.”

“Friends?” Izzy asked.

“Yes. Both belonged to a different ninja clan at the time. Yoshi with the Hamato Clan. And Shredder who back then was known as Oroku Saki was with the Foot Clan.”

“Foot clan?” Zipp asked while suppressing a laugh.

“Don't be distracted by the clan's name. The Foot Clan was a notorious clan rivaled only by the Hamato. For centuries both the Hamato and Foot clans have had a bitter feud until one day the Foot fell. Oroku Saki who was the son of the Foot Clan's leader at the time was just a child. Yoshi' father Yuta took pity upon Saki and took him in raising him as his own. Since that day Yoshi and Saki were raised together as brothers, and rivals, as brothers often are. They competed in all things, but their competition led them to fighting for the love of a woman named Tang Shen.”

The hologram showed Tang Shen whose appearance wowed the pony girls while felt enamored himself.

“She is gorgeous.” Pipp gasped.

“She sure is.” Zanna agreed.

“Yoshi and Saki's rivalry for Shen's affection turned bitter, but in the end Shen chose Yoshi. Together they started a family with their newborn daughter, Miwa.”

They saw the hologram of Yoshi, Shen, and Miwa together, “Oh, the baby is so cute!” Izzy cooed.

“But eventually Saki's jealousy turned to hatred when he discovered his birthright. He rebuilt the Foot Clan declaring revenge. He went to kill Yoshi in his home, but before he could land the final blow, Shen took the strike and perished.”

“No!” Zipp and Pipp gasped.

“Yes. And Yoshi's home burned out of control. In the midst of the chaos, Saki stole Miwa and through his own guilt convinced himself it was Yoshi's fault Shen died. So he took Miwa and raised her as his own renaming her Karai.”

“Whoa.” Hitch gasped.

“Saki had always assumed Splinter died in the house fire, but when he discovered he was alive and in New York, he traveled there bringing with him his army of Foot Ninja, his closest henchmen, and even Karai herself. And the turtles on so many occasions battled Shredder and his forces. When Karai discovered the truth she defected from Shredder and joined the turtles. Together they sought to cripple Shredder's empire until one night Shredder took the life of Splinter.”

Izzy gasped, “No!”

“When that happened the turtles and their friends got together to finish Shredder once and for all. And they succeeded.”

“Well, that's a relief.” Zipp sighed.

“But even with Shredder gone, and Karai taking over the Foot making it more honorable there were still dangerous forces they had to deal with. Especially in Equestria.”

“So the turtles were in Equestria.” Sunny gasped.

“Yes. They fought along side many good ponies from way back then. And because of their heroics the land was opened up to many other species other than ponies. Even several of the alien species they knew migrated to Equestria to learn more and broaden their horizons.”

“So how come we never heard such creatures existed here?” Zipp asked.

“Whatever happened in the past between the three pony tribes must've driven the alien species away as well.” Sunny theorized.

“Now that you know the back story behind them. It's time you learned of the time following them. Over the years the four brothers eventually became renowned and no longer stuck to the shadows as much. Eventually the world became opened to non humans, allowing mutants to come out of hiding and even alien species to migrate to earth. But even though non-humans were allowed to live on earth. There were still some who had issues with those who were different and made no attempt to hide it. But still there were those that tried to make sure all species had equal rights as did the humans. But to this day it's still a fight for equal rights.” Lita continued.

Hitch hearing that started seeing more of just how bad things really were between the pony tribes. Despite their differences they were all deep down not so different. And their behavior towards the other was exactly how those in the ninjas world were to others not as socially acceptable.

“Now for our story. As said I was once an ordinary albino turtle in a pet store. One day, the shop was devastated after it was caught in the crossfire between the Turtles and their long time alien enemies the Kraang. My tank, along with a cage containing a trio of weasels.”

“Which was us.” Zanna interrupted, as Zink and Mushroom covered her mouth.

“Their cage was also knocked over in the battle like mine. Leo spotting us scooped us up to place us somewhere safe. Unfortunately we ended up getting covered in some mutagen the Kraang had on us. After the Kraang were defeated, Leo found we had mutated into humanoid babies and he and his brothers decided to raise us as their own.”

“Just like Splinter to them.” Zipp realized as the weasel sisters nodded.

“We were also trained in the art of ninjitsu to prepare ourselves for whatever troubles were in the city. And with the way the city was with many treating other species with hostility we had to be ready for anything. Then when we were fifteen, my sisters and I got into a fight with a gang known as the Purple Dragons and were beaten due to our lack of teamwork. At our established family dojo in the city, Sensei Leo scolded us as I explained that the gang was beating up a helpless family and we were trying to help, just like he and his brothers used to. Sensei Leo decided we needed a leader and chose me, which surprises me since I'm the youngest.”

“Wait, you're the youngest?” Zipp asked.

“That's right.”

“But you seem more mature than your sisters,” Pipp said making the trio grunt, “No offense, girls.”

“So if you're the youngest, then who is the oldest?” Sunny asked.

“That'd be me.” Zink answered.

“Huh, I never would've guessed.” Izzy said.

“Unfortunately for us, the Dragons came back, stating the Hamato Clan had interfered with their crimes for the last time. A fight broke out and the dojo was burned down and blown up, Sensei Donnie, Sensei Raph, and Uncle Chaplin were killed in the explosion. The gang's leader then stabbed Sensei Leo in front of me. On his dying breath, Leo told us to take care of each other and rely on one another. His last words were, "You're Better Together."

The ponies looked saddened at that, while Hitch tried to hold it together but failed.

“We were devastated, but determined I led my sisters into battle against the Dragons. Working as a team this time, we defeated the Dragons and I personally knocked out the leader and the Dragons were subsequently arrested. We went back to our sewer lair where Sensei Leo's came to us saying he was proud of us all. When I asked why he made me leader instead of Zink, he explained it was because I showed the most leadership skills growing up. He said that we would soon face many challenges ahead but told us that if we relied on each others strengths, we would prevail.”

“Wicked.” Zipp said moved.

“You said Raphael and Donatello died with Leo. What about Michelangelo?” Sunny asked.

“Sensei Mikey was the only one of the bros who made it out alive. And he continued training us since that day, even now.” Lita finished.

“Wow. You all went through so much.” Pipp gasped.

“And at such young ages.” Izzy looked sad.

“Yeah. But it's the hard times that made us grow in body and spirit.” Zink noted.

“And here we are, taking on new challenges and making new friends as well.” Zanna motioned to the ponies who had to agree with her.

As they continued to get warm by the fire, Sunny spoke, “So, I think we should set off at first light. Last stop, Bridlewood.”

“Alright!” Zanna cheered, as Lita and the others smiled in agreement.

Sunny then noticed Izzy looked downhearted, “What's wrong, Izzy?”

“It’s just that…being with you ponies has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I guess…I just don’t want our adventure to end.” she explained sadly.

“We get it, Iz, but nothing lasts forever,” Lita explained, “But just because an adventure ends doesn't mean it's the last.”

“Yeah. And you'll get your magic back.” Sunny added, as Izzy started feeling better now.

Hitch finally decided to get some answers of his own from the unicorn, “Can I ask you a question? W…why did you come to Maretime Bay?”

Zink looked curious, “Yeah. I mean of all times, what made you decide now?”

“I always wanted to visit. When I was a filly, I found this pretty lantern,” she fished into her mane pulling out a folded paper, “It had a message inside. It-it said I had friends in Maretime Bay.”

Izzy unfolded the paper revealing it was the very message Sunny and her dad made when she was a filly. Her face lit up seeing it again which Izzy noticed and made the connection, “It…it was you.” she passed it to Hitch, as Lita looked at it by Hitch's side.

“You made this, Sunny?”

“Yeah. With my dad,” Sunny said, as she took it from Hitch, “We always promised each other that someday, we would prove that all ponies were meant to be friends. “We’ll do our part, hoof to heart.”

She looked from one to another, lost in the happy memories of her youth. Izzy, Mushroom, and Pipp each lift a front hoof/hand and touch them together, and Sunny and the others smiled at this small gesture of growing friendship. Eventually Hitch decided to speak up.

“Hey um... I wanna do my part.” Hitch confessed to Sunny who smiled.

Lita smiled as well, though her sisters were skeptical, “What changed your mind?” Lita wondered.

Hitch turned to her, “You did, Lita. You, your sisters, and my friend Sunny,” he replied, “Our tribes have been divided. I was wrong to think otherwise.”

Lita nodded her head that he now understands. Zink had her arms crossed, “Are you still gonna treat us like freaks?”

Hitch was a little terrified from Zanna, Mushroom, and Zink's stern looks, but he took a deep breath before he spoke.

“No, I am not. I realize that what we earth ponies are doing in Maretime Bay is wrong. I like to think myself as a great sheriff, but I’m not. As a matter of fact, I really don’t know what it’s like to be a hero at all,” Hitch said looking down with regret, “You ninjas are welcome to say what you want about me. But I do feel bad for everything I did to you guys when we first met, and I take it all back. I’m sorry. I was just trying to protect my town. I should've known better than to just follow the crowd like that.”

The ninjas were surprised to hear what Hitch said to them. They didn't think he would actually beg them for forgiveness. The sheriff turned to Mushroom who had her arm on his shoulder.

“Apology accepted.” She smiled.

Zanna approached with a smile, “We’re sorry for 'attacking' you when we first met.” She admitted.

“It was just a shove. Didn't hurt too bad.” Hitch admitted, as he received a nudge from Zink.

“It’s about time you’ve come to your senses, Sheriff Hitch.” She chuckled.

Hitch rubbed his back and was happy that Zink didn't feel hostile towards him as he's been to them anymore.

Hitch continued, “I wanna be a hero to all ponies, just like you girls,” Hitch extended his hoof to the leader, “May I join you?”

Lita stared at him before happily accepting his friendship, “Well, I like your resume.” She smirked.

Hitch gave a sheepish smile as he shook her hand.

“What have we got to lose, right?” He reminded.

Zipp cheered, “Whoo!”

Izzy cheered, “Alright!”

She, Pipp, and Lita’s sisters whooped with excitement.

“Hey, let's do what our senseis did when they were excited.” Zanna pleaded.

“What's that?” Zipp asked.

Lita smirked, “This,” she and her sisters announced, “Booyakasha!”

The ponies blinked, “What was that?” Pipp asked.

“A battle cry our senseis would cheer when going into battle or in victory.” Zink explained.

“I love it!” Izzy cheered.

“It's no Pipp-Pipp Hooray, but it works.” Pipp admitted, as Zipp playfully nudges her.

"So come on, join us." Zanna beckoned the ponies.

As the five ponies shrugged, Zink spoke, "Say it loud, and say it proud!"

"BOOYAKASHA!!!" The five ponies cheered, before laughing.

The mood of the group felt better than ever with no hostility between them. Hitch turned to Sunny and spoke, “I have to admit. A unicorn forest does sound kinda magical.”

“I sure can't wait to see it.” Zanna said excitedly.

“Well, we will tomorrow. So we better get plenty of sleep tonight.” Sunny instructed.

“Yeah!” they all agreed.

Fit Right In

The next morning the group had continued on their way to the unicorns home of Bridlewood. When they arrived outside the forest that was vastly overgrown and covered in mist, they noticed all the various warning and keep out signs for any earth pony or pegasus. The mutants and ponies looked at it shock while Izzy was the only one happy.

“Then again, maybe it's not so magical.” Hitch told the girls as opposed to what he thought Bridlewood would be like last night.

“Not what I was expecting.” Zanna stated.

“Come on! My house isn't far from here!” Izzy told them as she led the way into the forest humming.

The others followed Izzy into the forest that felt just as creepy and misty as it did on the outside of it.

“Would it kill to get some sun here?” Zink asked seeing three wasn't enough sunlight shining through the large canopy above them.

“Reminds me of the one forest our senseis talked about,” Mushroom recalled, “Everfree.”

“Hey, look up ahead!” Lita pointed.

They saw a clearing up ahead with more sunlight shining down and a massive tree home, “Well, here we are, guys!” Izzy showed them inside, “The Villa Izzy.”

The others walked in looking very impressed, for the place was covered in very decorative and creative arts and crafts projects.

“Wow.” Zanna gasped.

“Well, love what you've done to the place. It's homey.” Lita admitted.

“In a grade school arts and crafts studio sort of way.” Zink put in.

Hitch and Mushroom inspected a canvas of a pony made from macaroni and small objects, with an ice cream cone stuck on for a horn, and gets no small surprise when its eyes suddenly flick towards them.

“That was weird.” Mushroom told Hitch who nodded.

Elsewhere, Sunny and Lita has found a cylindrical drum mounted horizontally in a frame, with kitchen implements of various lengths protruding radially; when she turns the drum using a crank at one end, these strike bottles suspended from the frame to play the first four bars of a certain jingle.

“Catchy.” Lita admitted.

Pipp, Zipp, Zanna, and Zink approach Izzy, who was looking blissfully at a mobile hung with small butterflies in a rainbow of colors.

“Did you make all of this?” Zipp asked impressed.

“Yep! Uni-cycling. Isn’t it funky?” the unicorn asked.

“It is gorgeous!” Pipp answered in singsong.

“So creative.” Zanna added.

“Not bad.” Zink crossed her arms impressed.

“I also make friendship bracelets!” Izzy added before gasping, “Wait! Wait! Watch this! Hold everything!” she pushed an item over to them, “Ah! I’ve never gotten to use it with actual friends!”

“What is it?” Zink asked.

The object looked like a very large pink flower with petals tightly furled, mounted on a wheeled base. Voicing a giddy little laugh, Izzy pressed a hidden switch; the petals fold outward to form a table, nine in all, with a teacup at the end of each and a pot in the center. Hitch and Mushroom moved in for a closer look.

“Ta-daaaaa!” Izzy announced.

“Whoa!” Zipp gasped.

Pipp gasped happily, “I so wish I had live-streamed that.”

“Convenient you have nine cups set up for all nine of us.” Mushroom noted.

“Every pony, we don’t have time for that right now!” Sunny noted, while Izzy looked a little bummed, “If we’re gonna get the information we need on the Unicorn Crystal, we can’t stick out like sore hooves. We need to look like unicorns.”

“Yay, makeovers! I love makeovers.” Pipp said excitedly, while her sister looked less than thrilled.

“No, no. This is not-this is not what I signed up for, no.” she laughed nervously.

“Don't think of it as a makeover, Zipp,” Lita began, “Think of it as just going undercover.”

“Yeah. Like super spies!” Zanna said all chill.

“Well, when you put it that way.” Zipp said feeling more okay with it.

“So, Izzy, can you do it?” Sunny asked.

“A glow-up?” Izzy asked with a smile. She drained her cup and plunks it down with a calculating grin, “Honey, you came to the right cottage.”

“Then let's do it!” Zanna cheered.

Izzy sets up a slide projector on a stool with a smirk, dons a pair of over-sized round eyeglasses, and scoots back to a screen showing an image of three unsavory-looking earth ponies.

Izzy: I thought Earth ponies were the pony ladder's bottom rung

I heard that Pegasi were brutes you'd hate to be among

"You smell like fishes! You're vicious! I bet you eat your young!"

Meet any one of you, the thing to do is run away

Izzy started dancing around, as Sunny, Pipp, and Zanna joined her, while Hitch, and the others watched.

Izzy: But although I know we're all a bunch of different breeds

Take away our wings and horns, and we're just frightened steeds

So let's put aside our differences, 'cause what we need's a win

Oh-oh-oh

Come on, rip out all the pages of your history books

Just because we're undercover doesn't mean we're crooks

When we walk you through the crowd and give your brand new looks a spin

You're gonna fit right in

Zipp's unease started to turn into a smile, as Lita, Zink, and Mushroom also started feeling better about it. Izzy bucked a rolling stool across the floor so that it collides with Hitch’s legs and he lands on it. It carried him over to a vanity mirror, whereupon she whirls the seat.

Izzy: You're gonna fit right in

Once the spin stops, he finds himself wearing a neck cloth and a facefull of foundation makeup, “This is a new low.”

Izzy: You're gonna fit right in

“It's never gonna work.” Hitch continued to be skeptical.

“And why not?” Zanna asked, as Hitch joined in singing.

Hitch: They taught us unicorns were super-scary maniacs

With horns like razors and tongues like tasers and teeth like tacks

They take your hooves and then they grind them into midnight snacks

The basic gist of it is unicorns are not okay!

“This is made from hay!” Mushroom noted to Hitch about the snacks Izzy was eating.

Sunny pulled Hitch away, as the background became a multicolored umbrella that twirls away.

Sunny: Look, I know we’re risking everything for this endeavor

The two umbrellas are lifted clear of the floor, held by Lita and Zink.

But look at us, we're brave and strong and weird and clever

Plus closer to the finish than we've ever, ever been

Whoa-oh-oh

Izzy takes wing and mane measurements on Zipp.

Zanna: So we better take a leap and put our faith in you

Get our crafty on with sparkles, tape, and super glue

Sunny: 'Cause we're runnin' out of options and we're desperate to begin

Izzy: You're gonna fit right in

“If you say so.” Hitch chuckled deciding to go along.

Sunny, Izzy, and Zanna: You're gonna fit right in

Izzy: I know you will, now watch and learn

And so the lessons for the non-unicorns began with Izzy guiding them.

Izzy: This is how a unicorn walks (walks)

This is how a unicorn talks (Mushroom: Talks)

This is how a unicorn hoops (Zink: Hoops?)

This is how a unicorn—

Hitch: Oops!

Sunny: Oh!

Zipp: Geez!

Izzy: Stop!

Izzy: This is how a unicorn struts (Lita: Struts!)

Oh, watch us shake our unicorn butts (Zanna: Butts!)

Now you're in the unicorn know (Sunny: Whoa!)

Soon you'll be a unicorn pro!

Suddenly Izzy turned the song into a rap number.

Izzy: Oh, a unicorn horn makes a unicorn stride

It's the more-head on your forehead, it's the source of your pride

Every unicorn who's born has worn a horn that's unique

So we'll whip them up as we speak, you'll be lookin' très magnifique

We'll fake a phony protrusion to make a bony illusion. It's not the perfect solution, but the world's not big on inclusion

And with those rocks in our pockets, we'll reap the reward

And folks'll be floored, we'll strike a new chord. Our magic restored!

Everyone started to join in for the finale.

All: Lately, all Equestria has lost its heart

But if we can help to find it, we should play our part

Hitch: If we fail, we'll go to prison

Sunny: But if not, we'll start to grin

Izzy: So let's begin

Lita, Zink, Zanna, Mushroom: We're gonna fit right in

We're gonna fit right in

Zipp, and Pipp: We're gonna fit right in

We're gonna fit right in (Ninjas: We're gonna fit right in)

Soon the non-unicorns were ready with everyone wearing fake horns on their heads, the royal sisters wearing shawls to conceal their wings, and the mutant sisters were down on all fours wearing gloves on their hands making them look like regular pony hoofs.

Izzy: This is how a unicorn walks

Pipp and Zanna walked as Pipp smiles and winks as she peels off to the left with Zanna. Following them were Zipp and Mushroom with Zipp offering a cocky waggle of her head before turning right with Mushroom.

Izzy: This is how a unicorn talks

Hitch and Zink followed with Hitch strutting with a suave grin and exits left with Zink.

Izzy: Now you're lookin' unicorn strong

She holds the last note of this line long enough for Sunny and Lita to strike a pose with her, and they zip to the open front door of the house.

Izzy: This is how a unicorn...

Sunny, Lita and Izzy: Ends this song!

Zanna: Yeah!

The door slammed shut at the same instant, leaving them outside. Once out they all looked themselves over.

“Alright, everypony. We look and act the part,” Lita began, “Now let's go find that Unicorn Crystal!”

“Follow me!” Izzy ordered, as she led them off through the forest.

Bridlewood

After Izzy got Sunny, the ninjas, and the rest of the ponies disguised as unicorns they headed off further into Bridlewood. They walked down the path with the mutant ninjas groaning while walking on all fours.

“Oh, I don't know how you ponies can do this.” Lita groaned.

“I hope I don't get back problems from this.” Zink equally groaned.

“Don't worry, you're all doing great.” Sunny assured them.

They continued down a path which is much more brightly lit than the one they followed to reach Izzy's house.

“On the upside at least the forest's brighter in this part.” Zanna noted.

Izzy darted ahead with a bubbly giggle, stopping to gesture grandly at one of several sizable crystal formations that jut from the ground., “Ta-daaaaa! Crystals!” she zipped to three others in turn, “Crystals! Crystals! Crystals! Crystals! Crystals! Crystals!”

Zipp spoke to Sunny, “She does know we’re just looking for the one, right?”

“I don't know, I'm fond of seeing even regular crystals growing in a forest.” Mushroom admitted.

Sunny gave them a humoring smile, as they kept going, as Izzy was still pointing crystals out, “Crystals!” she then said softly dramatically, “Crystals.”

The group looked ahead seeing unicorns and their homes built into tree trunks/roots like Izzy’s.

“Unicorns,” Lita whispered, “Ok, everypony, this is it. Keep is casual."

Zanna started to strut forcefully, as Zink whispered, “She doesn't mean that casual!” So Zanna walked normally.

The group took in notice of the locals while noticing they were nothing like their excitable friend Izzy. They were more or less apathetic. They trudge about or sit listlessly on their haunches, heads down and countenances saturated with gloom; one old mare didn't even twitch when an apple falls from a branch and bounces off her head.

“Ow. Ow.” she said as it happened twice.

“That's gotta be a real concussion.” Mushroom said.

Elsewhere, one foal is trying to toss horseshoes onto the horn of another, with only limited success, as a teenage colt and mare watch.

“Hey.” The mare greeted emotionless.

“Hey.” The colt greeted in the same tone.

Even at playground none of the kids there seemed to be actually having fun. Two of them slumped over a swing and seesaw, and a third is very slowly coming down the slide as if it were covered with glue.

“Well, this is…cheerful.” Hitch said uneasy.

“Total Dullsville.” Zanna replied.

“These other unicorns seem soooo different than you.” Sunny told Izzy.

“Yeah wouldn't be hard to find Izzy if she got lost in this crowd.” Zink added.

Izzy nodded, “Yeah, I get that a lot. My sparkle is a bit too sparkly for Bridlewood.”

Hitch stops to inspect a crystal outcropping by the playground, “How can we tell which ones are magic?"

Suddenly, one of the unicorn colts pointed and called out, "Oooooh! You said a bad word!"

"Huh?" Hitch turned in confusion.

"Bad word?" Lita inquired.

"Hurry! Before we get jinxed!" The colt said to the other two.

Then the foals did something a very strange. They dropped to the ground and slowly stood up, hindquarters first, "Ahhhhhh..." They snorted and bobbed up and down before they stuck one leg out and each began bouncing in a small circle, while chanting, "Bing, bong! Bing, bong! Bing, bong! Bing, bong!"

The ponies and ninjas stared in bewilderment at the scene before them.

"What are we looking at here?" Mushroom asked in total confusion.

"Something hilarious, that's what!" Zanna said grinning.

"I'll say!" Zink added before she and Zanna laughed.

"Ooooookay..." Zipp turned to Izzy, "I'm gonna need some context."

"What exactly is... that?" Lita pointed at what the foals were doing.

"Unicorns are very superstitious," Izzy explained, "If a pony ever says a forbidden word, we have to do a ritual to ward off the jinxies."

"Jinxies?" Pipp echoed.

"Bad luck." Izzy clarified dramatically.

"Forbidden words?" Hitch asked.

Izzy listed off, "Magic", "wing", "feather"... Oh, and "mayonnaise"."

"Seriously?" Mushroom deadpanned.

"Uh, no offense, Izz," Zanna said, still chuckling, "But that's just dumb!"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure none of those words cause any "jinxies"." Lita reasoned.

"And what's wrong with may—?" Hitch began when Izzy rushed forward and clamped a hoof over his mouth and tutted, "Uh-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dee dah-dah!" A passing unicorn in a beanie heard Hitch and was almost triggered. After a minute, the unicorn subsided and walked off.

After the unicorn left, Izzy released her hoof from Hitch's mouth as he gasped, “Well, we can be sure there's one type of sandwich you can't have around here.” Zanna noted.

“And who likes that on a sandwich anyway?” Zink asked rhetorically.

“Come on! There's something I want to show you." Izzy said trotting ahead.

They approached another tree home where they saw a sign reading Crystal Team Room, as indicated by the steam-emitting, teapot-shaped sign mounted above and to one side.

“The Crystal Tea Room?” Sunny asked.

“Izz, I don't think there's time for tea.” Mushroom said.

“There’s a pony inside who collects crystals. Maybe he could help us.” Izzy explained.

“That’s great, Izzy!” Sunny said in joy, “Oh, and Hitch-”

Hitch rolled his eyes knowing what she was gonna say, “I know, I know. No forbidden words.”

Inside the Crystal Team Room there were low stone tables; a raised stage area at the far end, backed by a stained-glass window; inadequate illumination from the glass and the overhead paper lanterns, framed drawings/paintings on the walls, candles on the tables.

While looking around, Zanna noticed a unicorn mare on the stage. She had a faded aquamarine coat, a dark purple mane drooped over one side of her face, and magenta eyes. She wore a maroon beret and matching scarf.

Next to her was a unicorn stallion played some bongos. He had a greenish brown coat, a green curly mane, and light green eyes. He wore a tan scarf.

"Earth pony jinx, something stinks," the mare recited in a low, apathetic voice, "Pegasus neighs..."

"Hey, Izz," Zanna asked, not taking her eyes off the mare, "Who's that?"

"Oh, that's Onyx, and her friend Dapple," Izzy answered, "She's a poet. And she's got an awesome way with words!"

"Yeah..." Zanna said, still staring at Onyx.

Lita called, "Zanna!"

Zanna shook back into focus, "Coming!" And hurried to catch up.

Soon, Izzy led them to a rust coated stallion who was laying his chin on a table, looking depressed like all the others.

"That's the pony I was talking about," Izzy whispered loudly, as the pony looked at her slightly annoyed.

"Thank you, Izzy," Lita deadpanned, then she and sat across from the pony, "Um, hello? Sorry to intrude but we were told you could help us?"

"Word in the forest is you collect crystals." Sunny inquired.

"Like the small blue kind." Zanna added in detail.

"Yes, I do. Well, I mean, I did," the pony explained, "I lost 'em all in a limbo contest with... Alphabittle!"

"Oh, no," Izzy suddenly looked worried.

"You lost them all?!" The ninjas exclaimed.

"Who's Alphabittle?" Sunny asked.

She was interrupted by the sound of a bell clanging. They turned toward a counter where a big unicorn stallion was ringing a bell. He had a gray coat and a wild white mane, sideburns, and a goatee.

"Time's up! Pass it over, Jasper." he said to another pony trying to solve a puzzle cube.

The pony, Jasper, groaned before handing the cube over with a sigh. With smug grin, Alphabittle solved the puzzle cube in seconds before he slammed it on the table in triumph.

"Guess that makes me the winner. Again," Alphabittle chuckled, "Pay up."

"Ugh. Fine," Jasper handed him a snow globe and walked away looking sad.

"You could always try winning it back!" Alphabittle offered, but Jasper didn't come back, "Alright, suit yourself." Alphabittle shrugged and placed the globe on a shelf with other things he presumably won off other ponies.

"Poor guy." Zanna said, as Jasper walked past them.

"I'm guessing that Alphabittle wins a lot?" Mushroom asked.

"The Undefeated Master of Games!" Izzy stated dramatically, "He never, ever, loses!"

"Wow! That's quite impressive." Lita said.

"Probably cause the smug jerk is taking advantage of these ponies lack of skill!" Zink assumed.

"Yeah, but I bet one of us could beat him," Zanna bragged.

Sunny glanced at Alphabittle's shelf and gasped when she saw a blue crystal sitting on it, "There it is! I've got an idea. Maybe I can beat Alphabittle at his own game."

"Are you sure about that, Sunny?" Lita asked.

"Positive!"

"Wait. Alphabittle can smell fear," Izzy warned.

"Got it," Sunny replied, "Okay. Be cool." Then she strolled toward the counter, while Izzy groaned in worry.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Lita stated.

"She doesn't think things through, does she?" Mushroom asked Hitch.

"Nope." Hitch answered.

Sunny ambled up and took a seat some distance away from Alphabittle, who is wiping down the surface with a rag.

“Tea.” she requested.

At a nod from Alphabittle, one armadillo squeaks and slides a cup to her, while a second brings over a pot of milk/cream. She covered the cup with a hoof, “Hold the milk. Quite the game player, I see.” she noted the puzzle cube next to Alphabittle.

“It passes the time,” he admitted, before smiling craftily, now across from her, “Why? Do you play?”

“I don’t play. I win.”

Alphabittle started feeling intrigued, “Is that so?”

“Yeah, it is. And I challenge you…” she pointed behind him “…for that!”

Alphabittle noticed Sunny motioning at the Unicorn Crystal spoke to her, “You think you can beat me?”

“Only one way to find out.” she replied.

“Big talk for a little pony.”

“I think you’ll find I’m average height. Tick-tock. What do you say?”

“Whatever you’re bettin’, it better be special.” Alphabittle replied.

Still bearing a calculative smile, Sunny pulls the Pegasus Crystal from her saddlebag and lays it down, “Special enough for you?”

Her friends gasped in shock, followed by a widened pair of eyes on the game master’s face. Izzy scrambled over with an uneasy little giggle and draped her forelegs over Sunny’s shoulders in a silent cue to back away for the moment. They all gathered into a huddle, keeping their voices down.

“Um, w-what are you doing?” Zipp chuckled nervously.

“That's the Pegasus Crystal.” Lita reminded Sunny.

“Don’t worry. I could solve that cube puzzle in my sleep.”

“But if he wins, we’ll lose both crystals!” Pipp reminded her.

“We won’t. Trust me.”

“And if Sunny loses, we can just steal the two crystals back,” Zink added, the ponies looked at her in disbelief, “What, my sibs and I are ninja, remember?”

“Izzy!” Alphabittle called out, “If your friend is finished stalling, do we have a deal?”

Sunny answered confidently, “Deal. Now give me that cube.”

One armadillo walks the length of the counter with the puzzle balanced on its back, but Alphabittle snatched it away before Sunny can touch it.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Alphabittle tossed the puzzle aside and got into Sunny's face, “A special prize calls for a special competition. BRING FORTH THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE!” A spot of white light lands on him to accentuate the dramatic pose he has struck.

“The ultimate what, now?” Sunny asked rattled.

Suddenly wheeled out was a wooden version of Dance Dance Revolution titled Just Prance, and set up before it was the two crystals on its own individual stand.

“A dancing game. Seriously?” Sunny asked unimpressed.

“Oh, I wish it was me,” Zanna groaned, “I'd totally win this.”

“Doubt you would on all fours,” Zink whispered, “So much for thinking it'd be an easy win.” Lita shushed her.

Onyx spoke up into a mic, “Both ponies agree. Best out of three.”

The two competitors move toward the grids as the older pony spoke to Sunny, “Let’s make this more interesting. You only need to win one out of three.”

“Well, that makes it easier for Sunny,” Zanna told the others, “She only just has to win one, right?”

“Yeah, but how good is Sunny's dancing?” Izzy asked Hitch?

“Medium at best?” Hitch answered in worry.

“Oh, this could be bad.” Izzy sighed.

“Way to stay positive, Izzy.” Mushroom replied sarcastically.

(It's Alright)

Sunny shot Alphabittle a narrow-eyed glare as they take their places. Two armadillos begin to run in wheels mounted behind the central console. A pattern of marks spins up on the grid, which Alphabittle easily duplicates with his steps as Sunny stares dumbfounded.

“He is good.” Lita gasped.

“Wow.” Pipp gasped.

Sunny finally makes her own move following the patterns. The pointer for the bar graph on Alphabittle’s side ticks up to the top, and a panel decorated with crowns pops out with an extra “#1” one dangling from it.

“Oh!” the mutant sisters groaned.

Alphabittle turned to Sunny with a laugh, “Yeah! That’s how you do it!”

“Yaaay.” the customers cheered dully.

“Jeez, if I lived here I'd wanna move.” Zink told the others.

Izzy spoke to a crestfallen Sunny, “I-It’s okay. You’re just warming up.”

“What can you do? Round two.” Onyx spoke.

The armadillos run in their wheels and the game resumes, but now Sunny is making a much better showing.

“Yeah, come on, Sunny!” Lita cheered with the others.

“You got this!” Hitch cheered.

Sunny looked up and uttered a gasp; sure enough, Alphabittle’s gauge has topped out once again and the congratulatory panel and “#1” crown are springing out on his side. The armadillos squeak their approval of the boss’s performance.

“Yeah! Critters, get my crystal polish ready, would you?” he gave a derisive chuckle.

“Round three. Who will it be?” Onyx asked.

"Oh, here goes nothing." Sunny moaned.

"TIME OUT!" Lita shouted and rushed over to Sunny, "Could you give us a moment please?" Lita requested politely.

Alphabittle groaned, "Fine. But make it snappy."

"Thanks," Lita says sweetly and brings Sunny over to the gang, "You need to relax, Sunny," Lita began, "You're thinking too hard on trying to win the game and the crystals."

"But how can I, Lita?" Sunny worried, "Alphabittle is better at dancing than me."

"You just need to dance without thinking." Lita suggested.

The four other ponies looked confused, "Huh?"

"Dance without thinking?" Sunny asked.

"Yes," Lita explained, "You see, when a ninja is fighting an opponent, a ninja must have a calm mind and wait for the right moment to attack," She then points her head, "But in a fight, you can't be up here."

"I've learned that the hard way Sunny," Mushroom exclaimed, "Sensei Donnie taught me that I must rely on the strength on my body instead of on my mind alone. He had the same problem too when he told me how he faced Dr. Falco and how he was able to face his spiritual adversary on the mountain."

"But I just don't understand how you can fight without thinking. How does that help me dance?" Sunny asked confused.

Lita turned to Zanna. They both smile and nodded to each other. Zanna puts on her headphones to listen to her music and starts dancing forward toward Lita with her eyes closed.

Lita smirked, "Observe."

She came up to Zanna and tried to punch her in the face. But Zanna dodged the attack by leaning back. Lita tried to swing chop back, only for Zanna who back flipped over her sister. Then, Lita tried to punch her again, but Zanna grabbed her fist, hasn't even opening her eyes for a second.

Sunny looked with wide eyes in shock and gasped. The others were equally impressed as well, “Whoa!”

Pipp got it all on video, "That was amazing!"

Lita turns to Sunny, "You see? Zanna does not think."

Zanna heard Lita say that and pointed to her sister "Thank you!" Zanna kept listening to her tunes.

"Your welcome," Lita replied. But then Lita tripped Zanna over knowing that's enough, "You must find the space between your thoughts and learn to live there. That's what Zanna does. Even Izzy."

"Yeah, but Zanna and Izzy got a lot more space in their thoughts than I do." Sunny looked back at the two and they both had big grins on their faces and laugh together.

Lita giggled, "Yes well, those two have their challenges too."

"Are you done yet?" Alphabittle called out impatiently.

Lita puts her disguised hand on Sunny's shoulder, "You got this, Sunny! Now go back there and win that crystal!"

Sunny gave a small smile and headed back to the console, "Ok. Relax. I can do this. I just have to dance without thinking. No thinking. No thinking," Sunny repeated in her head. Alphabittle started chuckling, as Sunny tried to drown him out, "Don't think, just do." she said quietly. But still scared inside.

The gang saw she was a beginning to worry again. Pipp called out to Sunny to give her confidence, "Hey, you hear that Sunny? Feel the rhythm take you over. You feeling it?"

Sunny looked back to her friends and smiled back, "Oh I'm feeling it. I'm feeling it!"

The two began their last dance game with Sunny more confident than ever, “Yeah you are Sunny! Yeah you do this Sunny! Whoo!” Pipp cheered with the others.

As they dance, Sunny was able to dance and keep up the speed. Alphabittle is in shock and was losing his focus. He couldn't stop looking at the color pattern and Sunny.

"You're dancing! You're dancing Sunny! Keep it up!" Lita cheered

The arrow for Sunny is rising up, while Alphabittle's was falling behind.

"Yes! She's doing it, she's doing it!" Hitch said excitedly.

"She's almost there!" Zink exclaimed.

Alphabittle still couldn't stop looking at both the color pattern and Sunny. Even one of the armadillos powering up the game couldn't keep up the speed. Sunny's arrows were rising faster than Alphabittle's.

"Yes! Yes! YES!" Zanna shouted.

Both Alphabittle and another armadillo were in most surprised. As the arrow struck, the bell rang, Sunny had won the game!

Sunny breathed, "We won." Alphabittle and unicorns gasped at the outcome.

"We won! We actually won!" Sunny cheered excitedly.

Her friends cheered and surrounded her, "Yes!" Hitch shouted.

Izzy, Zipp, and Pipp cheered, as well, "Way to go Sunny!" Zink congratulated.

"You were awesome!" Zanna cheered.

"Outstanding!" Mushroom cheered.

Lita stepped forward to Sunny, "I knew you could do it Sunny!"

Sunny pulled Lita in with a hug, "Thanks, Lita." she said softly.

Lita hugged her back, “What're friends for?”

The two smiled and jumped around cheering before the two shook their heads accidentally causing their fake unicorn horns to fly off and hit the floor rolling up to Alphabittle's hooves. The customers gasped, as Lita looked nervous, “Oh, no.”

Alphabittle looked up with a frown, "Earth ponies."

Pipp is now holding the Pegasus Crystal, and she and Zipp have dumped their shawls to leave their wings in full view., “And pegasi.”

“And a unicorn!” Izzy announced before realizing her misstep, “Which…you knew already!' Mushroom and Zink rolled their eyes.

Sunny tried to reason with the game master unicorn, “I know it doesn’t look like it, but we’re here to help.”

"Help? We don't need help. Especially from ponies like you," Alphabittle refused, then he and the other unicorns started toward the group, "Give me the crystal."

"But I won." Sunny protested.

"You tricked me," Alphabittle argued, closing in on her, "The crystal. Now!"

Suddenly, Lita stood between him and Sunny, "Hey! Sunny may have deceived you, but beating you in that dancing game was no trick!" She defended her friend, "And she's definitely not lying about wanting to help you all. Which she needs that crystal for. While you just want it to show that you're better than everypony!"

"Burn!" Zanna grinned.

"So with all due respect, Alphabittle, back off!" Lita warned.

However, Alphabittle was not fazed in the least and stared the albino one down, "If you were trying intimidate me, then you're sadly mistaken," He pointed a hoof at her, "You don't scare me. Especially cause you're smaller than your friend."

However, in one swift motion, Lita swatted his hoof away with one hand and gave him a hard shove with the other, pushing him back a few feet. Both Alphabittle and the other unicorns were surprised that a small pony like her actually pushed back a big unicorn like him.

Lita smirked, "Yeah, I may be small, but I'm scrappy!"

"Oh, and p.s, the four of us aren't Earth Ponies." Zink confessed.

"Well you sure look like Earth Ponies." Alphabittle said.

"Well, the thing about looks..." Mushroom began, as the sisters all stood up and threw off their gloves, showing their hands.

"They can be deceiving!" Zanna finished, wiggling her fingers.

The unicorns gasped in surprise, “Wh-what are they?” one of the customers asked in shock.

“We're mutants.” Mushroom answered.

“And we're ninjas.” Zink added.

“No matter, I want that crystal, and I want it now.” Alphabittle said firmly, as the ninjas were ready to fight, but Hitch thought of a quicker escape.

“Uh... Magic! Wing! Feather! MAYONNAISE!!!"

After a beat, Alphabittle said, "Bing!"

Then every unicorn went into ritual mode, "Bing-bong! Bing-bong! Bing-bong!"

Zink and Zanna burst out laughing, "Way funnier than the last one!" The former guffawed.

"Go, go, go!" Sunny ordered as they all fled, grabbing the crystals.

"Later haters!" Zanna remarked, before stopping before Onyx, “By the way, loved your poetry.” she ran past her leaving the unicorn mare surprised while still doing the ritual.

"You'll pay for this!" Alphabittle shouted.

As the gang burst out of the Crystal Tea Room, Izzy called back, "Sorry about that! Uh, thanks for the tea!" Mushroom threw a shuriken at the sign, making it fall in front of the door, blocking it off.

They ran through Bridlewood, as Zink spoke to Sunny and Lita, “So once again we're fleeing like fugitives!”

“Sorry, we didn't think the horns would come off that easy.” Sunny explained.

“So now where do we go?” Zanna asked, as the group stopped in their tracks gasping, as they saw somepony coming out from the bushes.

The pony revealed to be Haven with her mane/tail/coat a complete shamble, “Oh.” she said dazedly.

“Mom?” Pipp and Zipp gasped, as they galloped over to her.

“Oh, my darlings! Thank hoofness!” she said in relief.

“You escaped!” Zipp said happily.

“How did you find us?” Pipp wondered.

Out from the foliage came Cloudpuff who hurried rapidly and leaped towards Hitch tackling him to the ground making him give a scared yell. Once Hitch comes to, he finds that the pooch’s jaws are locked around the badge that he lost on the way to Bridlewood and instantly shifts to triumph.

“Ah, my badge!” he took it from the dog and held it up, “Yes!”

“Congrats, sheriff.” Zanna said.

“Even though that still doesn't matter outside Maretime Bay.” Mushroom reminded him.

“I'm just glad I have it back.” Hitch said in relief.

Haven continued to voice her relief to see her daughters, “Oh, I’m so glad I found my little fillies. Now I know that if you just come back with me, we can explain everything,” neither daughter looked comfortable with the idea, “Spin the story, and they’ll love us again. Right?”

Lita spoke up, “I think you've told enough lies to your subjects, Haven. Even if you had good intentions, it still wasn't the right way to go.”

“Lita's right, mom,” Pipp agreed surprising the queen, “Even I'm done living a lie.”

Before more could be said the sound of galloping hooves and rustling greenery approached and out came a hopping-mad Alphabittle along with several of his customers into the clearing. Gasps and mumbles the group were heard.

“Guess they got their ritual out of the way.” Zanna said.

“Just let us explain!” Sunny pleaded.

“There she is!” came the voice of Zoom, as she, Thunder, and two more pegasi guards arrived through the underbrush, “Your Criminal Highness, you’re coming with us!”

Thunder cried out in fear from Alphabittle and his customers, “Unicorns!” he hastily fished out a tennis ball and threw it at Alphabittle, intending to use it as a shield against the latter’s powers in the same manner it was deployed on Izzy. It only bounced off the irked pony's face, though.

“Give me back my crystals and leave Bridlewood!” Alphabittle ordered.

Haven spoke up in outrage, “Your crystals? That crystal belongs to me!”

“Not anymore, it doesn’t! I won it fair and square!” Alphabittle answered.

“Ha! I certainly doubt it.” Haven called the bluff as Zanna spoke to her.

“It's true. He's just mad he lost to an Earth Pony.” Alphabittle shot Zanna a frown making her nervous.

Haven continued to bash Alphabittle, “Unicorns are known to be cheaters.”

Alphabittle stomped up to her in response, “You pegasi always thought you were better than us!”

“Hey, that’s our Queen you’re talking to!” Zoom shouted.

“She’s not a queen here!” One of the unicorns shot back.

“Who do you think you are?” Zoom challenged them.

“We’re gonna zap you with our horns!” Another unicorn threatened.

“This is our land!…You’re not welcome here!” more unicorns threatened as a unicorn colt was getting nervous from all the hostility.

“Surrender the crystal, or I’ll use my powers against you!” Alphabittle threatened Haven.

“I’d like to see you try!” Haven challenged him.

Zink who had started twitching since the argument between the two sides started was on her last nerve, before she eventually screamed.

“WILL ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP! BECAUSE NONE OF YOU HAVE ANY MAGIC!!!”

Not only did Zink's scream shut them up, but the revelation of neither side having magic surprised them all, “Bing-bong!” one of the unicorns quickly said.

Zink sighed in relief, as Zanna spoke, “You ok, sis?”

“Yeah. I just had to say something. But I'm good now.” Zink assured her.

Mushroom spoke up addressing the two sides, “They're right. None of you pegasi can fly, and none of you unicorns have magic. Basically you've all been living a paranoid lie for moons.”

“We don't know how it got started. But each pony tribe somehow felt the other tribes were your enemies because of what you thought they were capable of,” Lita continued, “But all this time you never had anything to actually be scared of. But we made friends with ponies from all three tribes.” she motioned to their five new friends who waved.

“Turns out, they're not so different from each other. Just like the rest of you.” Zink added, as the pegasi and unicorns looked at one another curiously.

Sunny continued, “Even though none of you has magic, we're here to bring it back.”

“Is it possible?” Jasper asked.

“Did she say magic?” Thunder asked Zoom.

“This is a trick.” Zoom answered skeptically.

“What'd I tell you about lightening up, Zoom?” Zanna scowled.

“I know it sounds unbelievable, but…please, just let us try.” Sunny pleaded.

“Please, Mom, trust us.” Zipp pleaded with her mom, as Pipp backed her up.

“You two?” Haven stammered, before sighing resignedly, “Fine.”

“You're wasting your time, kid.” Alphabittle said doubtingly.

“You'll change your tune soon enough.” Lita assured him.

Sunny and Izzy now stand alone on a plateau at one end of the clearing, all others ranged at various distances facing them. They hold the Pegasus and Unicorn Crystals, respectively.

“Ready, Izzy?” Sunny asked.

“Ready.” She confirmed.

“This is it.” Mushroom told her sibs.

“The moment of truth.” Zink added.

The two ponies slowly raise the stones toward each other, aligned to connect as Sunny hypothesized in Zephyr Heights; their friends watch with hopeful smiles, Pipp unfurling her wings as well. The spirit spreads to a couple of Alphabittle’s customers, and Haven’s eyes grow the merest fraction as the big guy’s stolid demeanor begins to crack. Next the eyes of Thunder and a customer next to him widen…the two crystals inch ever closer…their holders’ cheeks stretch with broadening smiles…and then the two gems click into place.

“AHH!” Zanna shouted expecting something big only for her to stop and see nothing's changed.

This caused the general mood of happy anticipation to melt into deep disappointment. Pipp folds in her wings as Sunny backs away, regarding the Pegasus Crystal.

“It...it...” Sunny stammered wondering what happened.

The colt from the playground looked to his dad, “Why didn’t it work, Daddy?”

“’Cause it was all just make-believe.” he answered in disappointment.

Sunny spoke nervously. “We can try it again! Maybe-maybe we-we did it wrong somehow.”

Unfortunately, the unicorns turned around and sulked back to their homes while the pegasi guards went the other way, “Wait, wait! Don’t go!” she tried putting the crystals together again hoping something to happen, “Oh, come on! Work!” Her friends; Hitch moves slowly toward her, “Work, please, work! Come on…”

Hitch spoke gently, “Sunny, it’s okay. You did everything you could.”

Sunny's voice started breaking, “I…I thought it would work. I was so, so sure of it.”

“We all were, Sunny.” Lita replied feeling just as downhearted as her.

Feeling lower than she probably ever has in her entire life, Sunny straightens up and trudges across the clearing.

“Well, what do we do now, Sunny?” Zipp asked hoping for a new plan.

Without a word, the downcast mare places the Unicorn Crystal on Alphabittle’s lifted hoof, then turns away from his thunderstruck expression to face Haven before giving the Pegasus Crystal back to her.

“I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you.” She plods back across the grass.

“Sunny, we can’t give up!” Pipp tried to reason with her.

“There must be something else we're missing.” Mushroom believed.

“I thought that I could make a difference.” Sunny answered them, before glumly watching the unicorns returning to their dreary lives; the colt who spoke up earlier gives her a brief, sad look over his shoulder as he walks alongside his father.

“Everywhere I go, I just make things worse.” Sunny said sadly.

“That’s not true,” Izzy spoke up, “We’re all in this together. Right?”

“Yeah.” Pipp agreed.

“Of course.” Zipp agreed, as Hitch nodded.

“We've come so far,” Zink explained, “In the beginning all pony tribes were just afraid of each other. But you proved magic or not they can all be friends.”

“What Zink said.” Zanna agreed.

Sunny spoke up still not swayed by their attempt to be optimistic, “I’m so sorry I let you all down.”

Turning her back on what remains of the gathering, she walked out of the clearing as if every hoof was heavy. Hitch began to follow her, but pauses upon feeling the weight of Izzy’s disbelieving gaze on his back and sighs, pivoting back to her.

“I guess this is goodbye…friends.” Hitch said in sorrow.

“Better hurry, Sheriff.” Zipp said shakily, as Hitch followed Sunny.

Lita who was just as down about what happened felt like the weight of the world was crushing her before following with her sisters who were just as concerned for their leader.

'We failed,' Lita thought, 'Sensei's. I'm so sorry.'

The Magic of Friendship Restored

Lita started opening her eyes and saw her sisters, Hitch, Izzy, Zipp, and Pipp looking down at her in concern.

“Lita?” Zipp asked.

“Are you alright?” Mushroom asked concerned.

“I-I think so.” Lita groaned as she sat up and realized she was an anthro pony again.

She was taken by surprise as Zink threw her arms around her, “Don't ever scare me like that again, you understand me?!” she sniffled.

Lita smiled, as she hugged her sister, “I'll try not too,” she motioned her other sisters into their embrace and joined her. She then remembered, “Where's Sunny?”

The ponies stepped aide to reveal Sunny perfectly fine, “Lita!” Sunny embraced her, “You saved me.”

“Well, of course. We're friends, aren't we?”

“We sure are,” Sunny confirmed, before Lita noticed Sunny's home was destroyed, “Oh, Sunny, your home.” the albino mutant gasped.

Sunny looked dismal seeing her home ruined, but her real concern was that her picture frame that was of her as a filly and her dad was broken into four parts.

“Is that?” Pipp asked Hitch who nodded.

“Sunny's father.” he answered.

The group looked around seeing all the other ponies present weren't hurt and getting back on their hoofs while surrounded by pieces of destroyed Hoof Bots. From the turned over Pony mech with the cockpit hatch closer to the ground, it opened up as Sprout climbed out and looked around seeing what his paranoia and bigotry has brought.

“YOU!!!” Zink shouted in Sprout's direction, as she dashed over pinning Sprout to his mech by the throat with the so-called emperor frightened, “IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED?! YOU ALMOST KILLED MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, INNOCENT PONIES, AND YOU DESTROYED SUNNY'S HOME! I HAVE THE RIGHT MIND TO-” Zink threw her fist back ready to deck Sprout, until Lita ran over and grabbed her sisters arm.

“Zink, stop!” she ordered, “You do that and you're only going to prove him right about what he thought about us. But you're better than that. But if you strike him then you'd only prove all those people back in New York that call us freaks and monsters were right about us. But you can do the right thing. Don't let it consume you.”

Zink struggled between her anger towards Sprout for what he put everypony through, and what her sister said, before she dropped her fist to her side before releasing Sprout from her hold. She glared at him speaking, “You're not even worth it.” Lita walked Zink away allowing Sprout to collect himself and realize she could've done what she wanted to do, but decided not to in the end.

“Oh, Sunny.” Izzy spoke to her.

“We're so sorry it didn't work again.” Zanna said equally down.

Lita remembered what she promised to tell Sunny from what she learned from her sense's and Twilight, until Sunny spoke up, “I understand now.”

“Understand what?” Mushroom asked.

“It’s not the crystals that need to be brought together. It’s us.” she began.

Alphabittle, Haven, and Phyllis looked on as Sprout hesitantly joined them, getting a dirty sideways look from his mother. The big unicorn has fully cleansed himself of Splat-a-Pult goop, as the other ponies from all three tribes stood behind them.

“We can bring back everything that was lost. But it’s up to us. We can stay separated by fear and distrust-or we can choose friendship.” Sunny finished as her friends smiled at her.

Lita smiled seeing Sunny figured it out on her own without her needing to relay the message. She then approached the broken picture frame, “I for one choose friendship.” she said gently moving the bottom half of the frame up underneath the picture.

Alphabittle, Phyllis, and Sprout were gobsmacked to see Haven coming forward. Tilt down to the photo and nudged the left piece of the frame into alignment with the bottom to form a corner. Sunny and Lita offered her a silent, shining-eyed smile of thanks in return for her gesture, which Alphabittle copies by pushing a third section into place. The last one is set by Phyllis to close in the form, after which the monarch, business-mare, and tea shop proprietor gave their warmest smiles of sympathy for Sunny’s losses past and present.

The display did wonders to lift the spirits of the group of adventurers as the other ponies gathered around them. Suddenly something begins to glimmer beneath the tumble of rock fragments of the debris, and in due time the brilliantly gleaming Unicorn Crystal rises from them and into the air. The Pegasus Crystal and the one from Sunny’s lantern do likewise, each putting out enough luminous intensity to serve as a lighthouse beacon in a pinch, and begin to orbit around Sunny.

“What?” she gasped.

“Sunny!” The ninjas gasped.

Faster and faster they go, light trails nearly forming a solid circle; they rise into the night air, startling a squawk from Sunny as she is hauled up as well. Soon she is above the roof level of her trashed home; her other friends gasp in wonder, and a pair of wings formed from gold-hued light fade into being on her back. A similarly colored horn takes shape on her forehead, and she proudly rears up in midair as a rainbow-colored streak appears in her mane, the braid coming undone to hang as a thick, loosely twisted sheaf of hair over one shoulder. The crystals rocket upward, assembling themselves into their intended triumvirate formation and sending a rainbow shock wave over all of Maretime Bay. It leaves vivid aurora borealis ribbons in its wake, and Izzy and Pipp/Zipp find flickers of light springing to life in horn and wings.

“Whooooaaa!” Izzy gasped as her horn glowed.

Zipp lets off an exultant laugh as she and her sister lift off into real, soaring, looping flight for the first time in their lives.

“We're actually flying!” Pipp cheered.

“Way to go you two!” Zink called from below.

Haven, and her guards spread their wings feeling the magic course through them, as did Alphabittle and the unicorns with him felt the magic in their horns.

Sunny started descending, as her two pegasus friends flew around her, “Sunny, look at you!” Lita gasped from below.

“Check it out!” Zipp cheered.

Sunny tries a whooping little dip and descends with them to rejoin Hitch, Izzy, and the ninjas on the ground.

“What?!” Hitch asked excitedly.

“I can’t believe it!” Sunny cheered.

“Now that’s what I call a glow-up!” Izzy said.

Pipp pointed into the sky, “Look!” she pointed to the aurora spreading far and wide.

“I got a feeling there's gonna be a lot of happy unicorns and pegasi after this.” Lita smiled.

Back in Bridlewood, at the playground the foals slumped listlessly on the equipment snap out of their gloom in a very big hurry once their horns power up, and the colt on the swing hops off to gallop for home.

“Daddy, Daddy! The magic is real!”

All over the unicorns gloomy moods were changing upon seeing their horns glow. Even the crystals of Bridlewood shined bright.

Meanwhile in Zephyr Heights all the pegasi were getting their first taste of true flight. They cheered and giggled while flying among the extravagant architecture and bright display screens. Truly they weren't going to be using their hooves 24/7 anymore.

Back in Maretime Bay the very next morning, Sunny was at the railing overlooking the sea with Lita close by. The two smiled placidly as a yipping Cloudpuff bobbles across in midair, chased on hoof by a laughing colt. All around ponies from all three tribes were learning to get along, like Sparkle Chaser and Zoom were each enjoying a smoothie. Even all the earth ponies ditched their mind reading helmets. Alphabittle and Haven were standing around getting to know each other, as Cloudpuff settled onto the back of the pegasus who noticed the colt that was playing with him.

“Oh, I see you’ve made a new friend.” Haven chuckled.

Alphabittle noted an earth pony colt looking up at him in awe, “Hi there, buddy!”

Hitch, Thunder, Zink, a construction worker, and one of the birds from Hitch’s little posse were staring up and have been thrown for a very big loop.

“Wow!” Hitch gasped.

Turns out Izzy and another unicorn had been suspending the knocked over trolley car in the air before gently lowering it down to the ground upright and back on the track. This got cheers from its conductor and a filly as they watch.

Zanna who was also watching cheered, "Perfectly placing you two!"

Pipp brought up her phone to snap a picture of a cheerful bunch consisting of Zipp, Toots, Sweets, Mushroom, an earth pony, a unicorn, Hitch’s “squad,” and Alphabittle’s armadillos. That done, she tucks it under a wing.

“Stunning!” she said singsong, “I'm really gonna be getting a lot more followers after this.” she walked off past Phyllis and Sprout, fluttering happily.

“Mommy, was I a good sheriff?” Sprout asked nervously.

Phyllis stopped in place and looked to her son, “No, Sprout. You were not.”

“I figured as much.” Sprout sighed.

“You were supposed to just be sheriff and keep ponies from panicking. But instead you turned into a warring dictator,” Phyllis continued expressing disappointment, “I may have wanted to keep the ponies in town safe, but I never wanted to incite a war unless we had actual reason too,” she sighed, “But I can't pin all the blame onto you.”

“Really?” Sprout asked hopefully.

“No. I played a large role in how you turned out this way because of all my fear pandering to everypony. Argyle was right. I was the one brainwashing the minds of everypony in Maretime Bay. But not anymore. Both of us have to make up for all we've done. For me, I'm shutting down all future Canterlogic product developments. It's clear it's not Pegasi and Unicorns we need to be prepared for. And as for you. I already talked it over with Hitch, and your deputy status is officially revoked.”

“Huh?” Sprout asked.

“We both need to make up for our actions.” Phyllis reminded him.

Sprout sighed, “Yes, mommy.” the two walked on.

Lita, her sisters, and the rest of Sunny's friends approach said pony, “You did it, Sunny.” Hitch congratulated her.

“No,” Sunny bumped Hitch playfully., “We did it-together.”

“We sure did.” Zink agreed.

“Now we never have to be apart!” Izzy pranced in place.

The group laughed, before pulling up on hoof/hand each at the center of the circle, and spoke together, “Hooves to hearts!”

Suddenly dropping in for a landing was the earth pony who tested the Earth Pony Balloon Escape Pack comes in for a landing at very long last, facing away from them.

He lets out a relieved breath, “Hey, guys! What’d I miss?”

“You missed it all.” Zink answered.

The earth pony turned around getting an eyeful of the group, and freezes in place upon seeing representatives of all three tribes at peace and the mutant ponies. His paralysis gives way to jittering hooves and a top-of-the-lungs terrified scream.

Hitch ran over to calm him, “Hey-hey, relax. There's no need to be afraid now.”

“There isn't?” the pony asked.

“No. All pony tribes are friends now.” Sunny showed him all the ponies of Maretime Bay getting to know the unicorn and pegasi.

“Really?” he asked, as Hitch nodded before sighing, “Oh, well, that's a relief. So what do I do now?” he asked.

Zanna put an arm around him, “Why don't you go make yourself a new friend or two.”

The earth pony looked at the unicorns and pegasi and saw a good opportunity, “You know, I think I will. And thanks for those waves you sent my way.” he galloped off to befriend some of the new ponies.

“This has been some day, huh?” Zink asked the group.

“No kidding.” Zipp agreed.

“And yet it all worked out in the end.” Lita smiled, until a bright light shined surprising them.

They saw a portal appear and stepping out was another anthro earth pony with his mane and tail orange with a touch of gray to it.

“Oh, yeah! Just like old times.” he stretched his arms up.

“Sensei?” the ninja girls asked surprised, as the ponies were just as surprised.

“Hey, girls. How's it going?” Mikey asked his students/daughters.

“Sensei!” they cheered before rushing over to hug him.

“How'd you get here?” Mushroom asked.

“A little extra portal projector. What you think Donnie only made one?”

“Wait, if there was already an extra in good condition then why didn't you let us use it?” Zink asked confused.

“Donnie wanted Mushroom to refurbish his old one to test her. And you passed, girl.” Mikey told Mushroom who smiled with pride.

“But how'd you know to come here?” Lita asked.

“I felt the vibes, Lita. And you know when you feel the ninja vibes you know what you have to do.” Mikey explained, as Lita smiled knowing how right he was.

“Sensei, you gotta meet our new friends!” Zanna said, as they brought him over.

“Everypony, this is-” Lita began before Sunny cut her off.

“Michelangelo!” she gasped, “You're one of the ninjas of legend from Old Equestria.”

Mikey nodded, “And you're Sunny Starscout. Love the wings and horn. You remind me of another pony like that. Except hers were a part of her, these look like they can be accessed.”

Zink continued to introduce, “You know Sunny, this is Sheriff Hitch.”

“Welcome to Maretime Bay, master.” he greeted.

“Please let's skip the formality. Just call me Mikey.”

“Sure thing.”

Zanna brought Izzy over, “This is Izzy.”

“Oh, my gosh it's so good to meet you!” Izzy pranced around Mikey, “Zanna, and the others old us so much about you I couldn't believe it, but now I can because you’re right here!”

Mikey chuckled, “So full of spirit and excitement. You remind me of another pony I used to know.”

Lita remembering spoke to him, “Speaking of said pony, sensei. She says hi.”

Mikey smiled at that, as Mushroom spoke, “And these are Princesses Zipp and Pipp.”

“Nice to meetcha.” Zipp greeted.

“It's fabulous to meet you!” Pipp singsonged.

“Likewise.” Mikey eyed them both seeing Rainbow Dash and Rarity in the two.

“I need a selfie with you!” Pipp insisted before pulling out her phone and sis a selfie with him.

“Whoa, Equestria has phones now?” Mikey asked surprised, “Well, nice to know this world has evolved in tech. Donnie would've been proud of that.”

“We did it, sensei,” Lita explained, “We united the tribes and brought back the magic of Friendship.”

Mikey nodded, “Yes you did. I'm proud of all of you.”

“I even found my own battle cry, sensei!” Zanna spoke up.

“Really? Well, tell me what ya got, Zanna.”

Zanna announced, “Tabodi!” she looked at her master, “What do you think?”

Mikey's surprised look turned into a bright smile, as he hugged her, “You learned so well!” Zanna laughed form the happy hug before Mikey put her down.

“Hey there!” Alphabittle called, as he and Haven approached while noticing Mikey, “So who's this?”

“Another mutant like you girls?” Haven asked Lita and her sisters.

“Yes, Queen Haven.” Lita confirmed.

“This is our ninja master, our sensei-” Zanna began, as Mikey finished.

“Michelangelo. The raddest party dude of both New York and even Equestria!” he laughed while making a few poses only for some bones to crack, “Ooh! I really can't move like that anymore.” the group chuckled.

“Well, Michelangelo-” Haven began.

“Please, call me Mikey.”

“Mikey,” she corrected herself, “I just want to commend for raising such wise girls. For they've taught me much these last two days.”

“Same here,” Alphabittle agreed, “We used to fear each other, but they and Sunny and the rest of these ponies proved we can be friends.”

Mikey nodded, “Yes, you can. After all Friendship's always been the real Magic.” The ponies nodded in agreement.

Later on a stage was set up in front of Canterlogic Factory as everypony in Maretime Bay and several more from Bridlewood and Zephyr Heights were gathered. Stepping up to the mic was Phyllis who spoke up.

“Attention, everypony, and I mean everypony!” she began, as the ponies looked to her, “I know things have been crazy in the last 24 hours, but today and forever more we now meet not as enemies but as friends. I myself didn't think it was possible as did the rest of you. But today we were proven wrong. We were shown that fear wasn't our friend, and that we could be friends with the ponies we all thought were enemies. And it's all thanks to some very special ponies. So let's give a big hoof for Sunny Starscout and her friends!”

The ponies cheered and applauded, as Sunny, her friends, Lita, and her sisters stepped on stage ready to give a performance to celebrate their new-found friendship.

(Together)

Lita: Some days get the best of me

Sometimes I feel like givin' up, givin' up

I'm not where I wanna be

I know I'm not the only one

Everybody needs somebody

I'm somebody, too

Zink, Zanna, and Mushroom: Everybody needs somebody

Lita: If you ever need somebody

I'll be there for you, yeah

Lita (Zink, Zanna, and Mushroom): You know the truth is

We're not so different after all (Can you feel it?)

Can you feel it? (Can you feel it?)

I need a friend, too

I'll be here to catch you when you fall (Can you feel it?)

Can you feel it? (Can you feel it?)

'Cause we-e-e-e're better together (Can you feel it?)

Together (Can you feel it?)

We-e-e-e're better together (Can you feel it?)

Together (Can you feel it?)

Sunny: Some days get the best of me

Sometimes I feel I'm not enough, not enough

That's not who I wanna be

I know I'm not the only one, no

Lita: Everybody needs somebody

I'm somebody, too, oh, yeah

Hitch, Izzy, Zipp, and Pipp: Everybody needs somebody

Sunny: If you ever need somebody

I'll be there for you

Lita: You know the truth is

We're not so different after all (Izzy and Zanna: Can you feel it?)

Sunny: Can you feel it? (Pipp and Mushroom: Can you feel it?)

Lita: I need a friend, too

I'll be here to catch you when you fall (Hitch, Zipp, and Zink: Can you feel it?)

Sunny: Can you feel it? (All: Can you feel it?)

Sunny & Lita (Zink, Hitch, Zanna, Izzy, Mushroom, Zipp, and Pipp):

'Cause we-e-e-e're better together (Can you feel it?)

Together (Can you feel it?)

We-e-e-e're better together (Can you feel it?)

Together (Can you feel it?)

Sunny: Everybody needs somebody

I'm somebody, too

Lita: If you ever need somebody

I'll be there for you

Sunny & Lita (Zink, Hitch, Zanna, Izzy, Mushroom, Zipp, and Pipp):

You know the truth is

We're not so different after all (Can you feel it?)

Can you feel it? (Can you feel it?)

I need a friend, too

I'll be here to catch you when you fall (Can you feel it?)

Sunny: Can you feel it? (Lita, Hitch, Zink, Izzy, Zanna, Zipp, Mushroom, and Pipp: Can you feel it?)

All: 'Cause we-e-e-e're better (better) together (Can you feel it?)

Together (Can you feel it?)

We-e-e-e're better (better) together

Together (Can you feel it?)

The ponies cheered at their performance with Haven and Alphabittle applauding, and Mikey watching with a smile.

'Just like old times, huh, girls?' he thought while recalling the Rainbooms and their many performances.

Afterward at the wreckage of Sunny's home, she and her friends along with the five ninja looked on upon it still in sorrow over its destruction.

“We're sorry this happened, Sunny.” Hitch apologized.

Mikey put a hand on Sunny's shoulder, “I've been here before Sunny. One time my home was trashed by my family's long time enemies the Kraang when they invaded our world. Months later after we were finally able to beat them we moved back in, cleaned up, and started anew.”

Sunny hearing those words got inspired, “Then that's what we'll do.”

“What do you mean?” Zipp asked.

“We can rebuild the Lighthouse, make it better, a home for all of us.” Sunny said brightly.

“Sounds like a plan, Sunny.” Lita smiled.

“Will you girls stay and help?” Sunny asked hopefully.

Lita curiously looked to Mikey and nodded, “Sure thing. But we need to get back to the city and get our affairs in order. We can even bring some of our own tools to help you rebuild it.

“I'd really appreciate that.” Sunny smiled, as she trotted through the wreckage before finding something underneath some debris. She gasped and smiled brightly before another idea came to mind, “Mikey-sensei.” she spoke up grabbing his attention.

“What is it, Sunny?”

Sunny walked over with a wooden box with no lid, “My dad made these for me when I was a filly. But I would like you to have them. As a sign of our new friendship.”

Mikey curiously looked at what Sunny was holding and gasped. The box contained the figurines of the Mane Six and Mikey and his bros as anthro ponies. Sunny has originally planned to pack them away any of her pony unity research when she almost gave up hope. She was lucky they weren't damaged when the lighthouse came down.

Mikey looked at each of them smiling remembering his pony friends, “Rainbow Dash. Rarity. Pinkie Pie. Twilight.”

Sunny nodded, “You were friends with them many moons ago.”

“Yeah. Some of the best friends I ever had in this world,” Mikey said fondly before looking at the figurines of him and his bros, “Oh, yeah I remember how young I looked back then. Your dad really captured me and my bros likeness. Although he could've made Raph a little uglier than this.” he laughed, as did the others.

Sunny smiled and looked to the ninjas, “Thank you all for coming to Equestria and help me prove we were always meant to be friends.”

“That's how we were raised and trained for, Sunny.” Lita reminded her.

“And I have to admit, Equestria is really some place.” Zink confessed.

“We're glad you think so.” Hitch replied.

“And you know from the way you girls described you're world. I'd kinda wanna see it myself.” Zipp added.

“Oh, so do I!” Pipp put in excitedly.

“Me too!” Izzy cheered.

Mikey chuckled, “Well, you may get that chance. But for now. Enjoy the time you ponies have now that you're all together.”

“Will do, Mikey-sensei.” Sunny smiled, as she and her friends gathered for a group hug.

Lita glanced behind her and saw the spirits of Leo, Raph, Donnie, Twilight, and all her friends in the distance smiling at her, 'Thanks, everyone.' she thought.

We got the light, we're comin' in stronger, we're in it together

If you want it, it's all inside your mind

We got the light, won't wait any longer, we'll get it together

If you want it, then you can paint the sky (hey!)

Glowin' up, kind of love

Dip and slide, through the cut

Glowin' up, kind of love

We say "hi", you say "what?"

Glowin' up, kind of love

Dip and slide, through the cut

Glowin' up, kind of love

We say "hi", you say "what?"

Vanessa Hudgens as Sunny Starscout

Kimiko Glenn as Izzy Moonbow

James Marsden as Hitch Trailblazer

Everywhere that I've been, yeah, they say I'm different

But I'm good in my skin (ooh-ooh-ooh, hey!)

If it doesn't feel right, break it in with tie-dye

And don't you stop 'til sunrise

Sofia Carson as Pipp Petals

Liza Koshy as Zipp Storm

Ken Jeong as Sprout

Elizabeth Perkins as Phyllis Cloverleaf

We don't fly like we used to, we take what we've been through

And we can feel brand new (ooh-ooh-ooh)

I know I am a fighter, I feel the fire

I'm shining brighter (ooh-ooh-ooh)

Jane Krakowski as Queen Haven

Michael McKean as Argyle Starshine

Phil LaMarr as Alphabittle

We got the light, we're comin' in stronger, we're in it together

If you want it, it's all inside your mind

We got the light, won't wait any longer, we'll get it together

If you want it, then you can paint the sky (hey!)

Olivia Holt as Lita

Nicole Sullivan as Zink

Michaela Dietz as Zanna

Cree Summers as Mushroom

Glowin' up, kind of love

Dip and slide, through the cut

Glowin' up, kind of love

We say "hi", you say "what?"

Glowin' up, kind of love

Dip and slide, through the cut

Glowin' up, kind of love

We say "hi", you say "what?"

Greg Cipes as Michelangelo

Seth Green as Leonardo

Sean Astin as Raphael

Rob Paulsen as Donatello

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) We got the kind of

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) We got the kind of love

(Ooh-ooh-ooh) We got the light

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) We got the kind of

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) We got the kind of love

(Ooh-ooh-ooh) We got the light

Tara Strong as Twilight Sparkle

Ashleigh Ball as Rainbow Dash and Applejack

Andrea Libman as Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy

Tabitha St. Germain as Rarity

Glowin' up, kind of love

At Zephyr Heights, the station below the castle where Zipp would go to was completely restored to good as new so that the unicorns and earth ponies could use it to travel to. Even the stain glass windows were repaired brand new, with a third window put in the center displaying an earth pony with the Earth Pony Crystal above it.

Epilogue

Out in a meadow outside Maretime Bay at sunset, were three little ponies, one from each tribe walking and singing Pipp's song.

Unicorn: Glowing up!

Earth pony: Kinda love!

Pegasus: (hovering briefly) We say “hi,” you say-

All three: “What?”

The three laughed having such a fun time until the Pegasus kid announced, “Race you to the bridge!” and darts on ahead followed by the Unicorn.

“Oh, it's on!”

The Earth pony laughed, “But no using your magic this time!” and follows in pursuit.

“Last one there is a rotten sardine!” the Pegasus called.

“I'm gonna win!” the Unicorn announced.

“Me first!” the Earth pony called, as the three raced.

As they drop out of sight over a hill, a trail of glowing prints appears in the grass to mark the earth pony's path in reverse. The hoof print was heart-shaped, and its radiance intensifies as the grass contained within the print looked shorter and well trimmed compared to the grass outside the print. Whatever this meant for Equestria, anypony would know it was something magical.

In New York City Mikey had entered a warehouse loaded with equipment courtesy of the Utrom. He entered a lounge area seeing someone on a sofa facing away.

“Hey, girl, how's it going?” Mikey addressed the person.

The person got up and turned around revealing it was his long time human friend April O'Neil, older and had some gray in her hair, while wearing a yellow jumpsuit.

“Hey, Mikey, what brings you topside?” April asked.

“I just came to tell you the girls succeeded in their mission.” he began grabbing April's attention.

“So they restored magic to Equestria?”

“Oh, yeah. They said it wasn't easy, but when has anything ever been easy?”

“No kidding.” April agreed with a chuckle.

“And they made all sorts of new friends there. You'd really like them.” Mikey smiled.

“I can believe it.”

“And here, while I was there I was given a gift from their new friend Sunny Starscout. But I think you should have this one from it.” Mikey reached into his bag and pulled out the figurine of Pony Donnie presenting it to April.

April gasped upon looking at the figurine while remembering the special mutant she was so close to, “Donnie.” she said with a smile as she took the figurine.

“Yeah. Sunny's father made other figurines for her when she was a filly, of me and my bros. Even of Princess Twi and the others.”

“Twilight,” April repeated, as she fondly remembered the days of her old pony friends from Equestria, “So what happens now?”

“Well, Lita and the girls are gonna be going back there to help them rebuild Sunny's home.”

April nodded, “True friendship. Just like the ones we forged over the years.” the two old friends looked over seeing an old picture of them and their friends together.

“Good times,” Mikey admitted, “But now it's a whole new generation.”

“And yet things still feel the same.” April chuckled with Mikey.

The school bell rang at Roosevelt High as all the students entered the building and moved about the halls. Only it wasn't just human students, half were mutants and half were of multiple alien species. There were teenage Utrom piloting undisguised droids to Triceratons who were surprisingly not as big as adult Triceratons. There were Salamandrians like Mona Lisa, Insectoids like Dregg, Daagons, and many other species.

All the mutant and alien students were wearing human clothing as opposed to whatever attire they were accustomed to wearing on their own planets, dimensions, etc. Even the Utrom droids were dressed in casual clothes, while making sure the Utroms were uncovered.

And it wasn't just the students, but some of the school staff were of mutant and alien races. Some were teachers, PE coaches, cafeteria workers, and janitors.

The human, mutant, and alien students were mingling, chatting, and hanging out with each other between classes. A human jock boy was flirting with a pretty alien girl, a mutant pig was playing a fantasy card game with some other students, and an Utrom was doing an internet challenge while his friends were filming it.

A mutant teenage ant girl had just collected her books from her locker and was making her way to class, when she passed a group of boys and the one in front stuck out his leg and tripped her, making her fall and drop her books.

The boys pointed and laughed at the mutant ant, revealing that they were in fact bullies.

The lead bully bent down and mocked, "Better watch your step, freak!"

The ant girl looked at the bully in annoyance, "Tripping me? Very original." she deadpanned.

"Really? Then how's this for original?" The bully grabbed her by the antennae and body-slammed her hard onto the floor. Then he turned to his buds, "Let's squash this bug-Hooouie!" He cried out.

Out of nowhere, a modified drone flew in and used some extending claws to reach down and give the bully a wedgie. The bully turned around and glared at the one controlling it.

Standing a few feet behind him was a mutant turtle. He was mud green with dark stripes around his head, arms, and legs. He had green eyes and wore a dark magenta mask underneath some glasses.

Like the other mutant students, he also wore clothes. A teal hoodie with the hood up and half the sleeves being white, dark gray sweat pants, and white high tops.

The turtle stifled a laugh. "Oh, sorry 'bout that, Drake," he said, hiding a smirk, "I've still got some glitches to iron out on my drone." He snickered.

The bully, Drake, stomped towards the turtle, cranking his knuckles, "You're a corpse, Kirby!"

"I wouldn't do that, man," the turtle, Kirby, warned, "Unless you wanna deal with my sister."

Drake scoffed, "And what's she gonna do?" Suddenly, both he and the rest of his buds were lifted off the ground by an invisible force.

Walking up next to Kirby, with one hand held out, was a girl who looked like April back in her teen years, only her hair was black and she had hazel green eyes.

"I'll do that," the girl answered Drake, "And this!" She thrust both her hands out and the bullies went flying right into a nearby mail cart.

The bullies laid there and Drake growled when he was interrupted by a whistle.

"Yoo-hoo," came a cheerful female voice.

The bullies turned to see another girl standing next to them. She had dark blonde hair with a black streak, brown eyes, and tan skin with freckles.

She readied a hockey stick, "Goongala, jerkbags!" she grinned and whacked the cart, sending it rolling away down the hall with Drake and his buds screaming.

At the end of the hall stood a boy, another girl, and a mutant frog.

The boy had short black hair and wore a green shirt.

The girl had long blonde hair and grey eyes. She wore a dull grey t-shirt over a dark red flannel top, sand colored jeans, and light blue sneakers.

The frog had blue skin and big yellowish green eyes. He wore a black hoodie with white sleeves and a neon yellow hood, and black pants with a white line down each leg.

As the cart sped toward them, the frog rushed forward, jumped into the air, and landed on the edge of the cart, tipping it over and launching the bullies out. At the same moment, the boy and girl opened a window and the bullies went sailing out and landed in a dumpster.

As the boy and girl closed the window, the frog cheered, "And they're outta here!"

The bullies groaned as they sat up covered in garbage. Drake had a Chinese food box on his head with noodles hanging out.

The bully growled, "I'm gonna break every bone in those freak-lovers'-"

"Ahem!" Drake paused as he noticed a woman in a suit standing before them. She was African American with short hair that had one purple curly bang. She had a stern look on her face.

The woman was Angel Bridge, now an adult, "Care to explain yourselves?" She asked.

"Uh, principal Bridge, hey!" Drake greeted, "Casey Marie, her dumb brother Kirby, and their friends did this to us!"

"Yeah, and we didn't do nothing!" one of his buds lied.

"We were just minding our business!" Another also lied.

"Is that right?" Angel inquired, taking out a phone, "Then would this qualify as you 'minding your business'?"

She showed them multiple video footage of them not just bullying the ant girl, but terrorizing other students as well, especially the mutant and alien ones. In one video they shoved an Insectoid boy in a locker, another showed them giving a swirly to a mutant mouse, and in another they had yanked a utrom from her droid and were kicking her around like a hacky sack.

"Also Andre here just informed me that you were the ones responsible for that chili explosion in the cafeteria!" Angel continued.

A boy appeared next to her. He was African/Caucasian mix with a poof of dark brown hair and grey eyes.

The boy Andre showed some video footage from his own phone. The video showed Drake and his buds sneaking into the kitchen and pouring some chemicals, that they raided from the science lab, into the chili pot then ran away as it exploded out all over the kitchen and the cafeteria.

Drake had a look of disbelief, he was so sure no one had seen the whole thing. His buds meanwhile sunk down knowing they were in a lot of trouble.

"Busted!" Andre singsonged.

Back inside, Casey Marie helped up the ant girl, "You okay, Wanda?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Wanda replied.

"Here, I believe these are yours." Kirby used his drone to pick up Wanda's books and hand them back to her.

"Thanks," Wanda smiled, then turned to the others, "And thank you all for saving me from Drake."

"You're welcome." the boy replied.

"Yeah, no one get's bullied on our watch," the blonde girl stated, "Especially our friends."

"And especially not by Drake and his gang of jerks." the girl with the hockey stick added.

"Well, I better get to class," Wanda said before she took her leave, "Thanks again!"

"See ya around, Wanda!" The frog waved then turned to Casey Marie, "Man, that thing we pulled on Drake was sic! Nice job with the window, Trisha and Tommy."

"It was nothing, Jay," the black haired boy, Tommy, shrugged.

The blonde girl, Trisha, grinned, "The way you launched those creeps was awesome! Same with you whacking them, Shadow." She spoke to the girl with the hockey stick.

"Thank you." Shadow beamed, raising her stick up in triumph.

Jay turned to Casey Marie, "So how'd you come up with that plan, Casey?"

"Our mom once told me and Kirby how she and her friends pulled the same stunt on her bully, Tiffany," Casey Marie answered.

"All to defend my mom after Tiffany got her thrown in detention." Shadow chimed in.

"We just modified her original plan to better work against those jerks." Kirby explained.

"I like her style." Trisha smirked.

Just then, the boy, Andre, came up, "Well, guys, it's safe to say that Drake and his pose won't be tormenting anyone for quite a long time."

"Oooooo!" Shadow marveled. "What did Principle Bridge do to them?"

"I didn't stick around to find out," Andre answered, "I learned you do not want to get on auntie's bad side. But I did hear her tell Drake and his cronies that they were in a mountain of trouble!"

"Oh no." Casey Marie chuckled.

"I almost feel sorry for those neanderthals," Tommy said, "Almost."

"Man, wish Zink, Zanna, Mushroom, and Lita were here to learn that." Trisha grinned.

"Yeah, Zink would be over the moon!" Kirby added.

"And Zanna's gonna be so bummed that she missed out." Jay said.

"Hey, speaking of which," Tommy spoke up, "We haven't seen them in two weeks."

"Hey yeah," Trisha realized. "I mean, sure they're ninjas and that sometimes makes them tardy, but they're never usually gone for this long," She turned to Casey Marie, Kirby, and Shadow. "They're your cousins. And your family's pretty close to them. You know anything?"

"You got me, Trish?" Shadow shrugged, "I dropped by the lair and asked Uncle Mikey where they were, and he told me they were on an important mission."

"Our mom said the same thing when we asked her." Kirby added.

"Good thing, Aunt Angel is so tight with their sensei Mikey," Andre noted, "Otherwise, they'd be in as much trouble as Drake right now."

"I hope they're okay?" Casey Marie wondered in concern.

"Relax, guys," Jay eased them, "I'm sure they're alright. And who knows? Maybe they'll turn up?" Then he noticed something and looked in amazed surprise, "Ask and ye shall receive."

He pointed and the group looked. Just coming in through the front doors were Lita, Zink, Zanna, and Mushroom. They were no longer wearing their ninja gear and instead were dressed in regular clothes like the other students. Though they still wore their ninja masks.

Lita was dressed in a light blue t-shirt, dirt brown capri pants, and pink sneakers.

Zink was wearing a black top under a dark red flannel shirt, black ripped jeans, dark grey sneakers, and a grey beanie.

Zanna was sporting a white sports jacket with mango trimmings, a hip hop cap, shorts, and high tops.

And Mushroom wore a plum sweater, a sandy yellow skirt, light pink slacks, and grayish white toms.

Lita saw them and waved, "Guys!" And the sisters hurried over to the group.

"Well, the Prodigal Ninjas return." Casey Marie joked, hugging Lita.

"Good to see you again, Zink." Trisha fist-bumped with the grey weasel.

"Right back at ya," Zink replied, then she locked fists with Shadow, "Hey, Shadow."

"Hey there, Zink." Shadow replied.

"Yo, Jay, Andre, my boys!" Zanna hi-fived with both Andre and Jay.

"What's up, Z?" Jay grinned.

"Welcome back, girl." Andre said.

"Sup, cous?" Kirby shook hands with Mushroom.

"Hey, Kirby." Mushroom smiled.

"So, what we miss?" Zanna asked.

"Oh, just stopping the local jerk brigade from terrorizing Wanda and many others." Shadow informed.

"Oh, no! Drake?" Lita asked.

"Bingo," Tommy replied, "But don't worry, we took care him and his goons."

"Oooooh, whacha guys do?" Zanna asked eagerly.

"Well," Andre began. "From getting wedgied by Kirby's drone, getting launched out an open window into a dumpster, and then facing the wrath of my aunt, Principal Bridge, it majorly sucks to be Drake right now."

The girls blinked before they all burst out laughing.

"Are you serious?!" Lita giggled.

"Oh, if only we got here earlier!" Zink chortled.

"I would've loved to see that jerk get his!" Zanna said.

"Very creative drone work." Mushroom commented Kirby.

"It's a gift." Kirby bragged.

"So, what's new with you guys?" Andre asked.

"Yeah," Shadow added, "Where were you for the last few weeks?"

"It's a long story." Mushroom stated.

"But to put it simply," Lita began. "You remember that pony world our senseis and your parents used to tell us about when we were kids?"

"Yeah," Casey Marie nodded, before her eyes widened in realization. "No... way! You went there!"

"You know it!" Zanna grinned.

"You got dad's old portal device to work?" Kirby asked Mushroom.

"Yep." Mushroom nodded.

"Awesome!" Kirby cheered.

"That is so cool!" Shadow gushed. "What was it like?!"

"Did you meet any ponies?!" Casey Marie asked in excitement.

"Did you turn into ponies?!" Kirby inquired.

"Did you still have your clothes?" Andre asked.

"Hey hey, whoa whoa whoa!" Trisha interjected, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Yeah, what pony world?" Tommy asked in confusion.

"I'm in the dark." Jay stated.

"We'll tell you later," Lita promised, "And to answer the rest of you, it was very different from our sensei's time."

"And we made some new friends." Zanna added.

"Reunite the three pony tribes and helped bring back magic." Mushroom said.

"And fought off some robots controlled by this cowardly egotistical stallion." Zink noted.

"And we stayed behind to help one of our friends rebuild her house that got destroyed," Lita finished, "Which is why we were gone for so long."

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the start of classes.

"We'll tell you guys the full story after class." Lita promised.

"Alright," Casey Marie replied, "I'm dying to hear the full details!"

"That makes two of us." Shadow added, as they all headed off.

"And I wanna know more about this pony world." Trisha said.

"It sounds rad!" Jay exclaimed.

"Oh, you bet it is!" Zanna confirmed.

"Yeah, and wait till you guys hear about how fixing up our friend's house went down." Mushroom said.

"Really?" Andre asked.

"Yeah," Lita chimed in, "Let's just say that we all learned the hard way that DRY and creative differences are NOT a good combo!"

"But that work song we sang with our friends was catchy." Zanna admitted.

"Sounds like it's gonna be a long story." Tommy figured.

"You have no idea!" All four sisters replied.

Back in Equestria at the Canterlogic Factory, a huge cart was loaded with pieces of Hoof Bots, or some missing a few robotic limbs. After the destruction, all the Hoof Bots pieces were removed and were meant to be broken down and recycled. Suddenly the pieces started moving as an arm reached up and climbing out was a Hoof Bot despite it's paint-job faded and scratched up it was still in one piece.

Its eyes flashed red a few times before staying red permanently. The robot climbed out of the cart before landing on the floor. It got back up and limped its way off repeating, “Destroy ponies. Destroy ponies... I destroy ponies!”

Elsewhere inside a dark throne room a magical screen was set up showing all the ponies celebrating the return of magic and new friendships being made through it. A tall lone figure stared at the screen in the shadows.

"Well, would you look at this?" The figure stepped into the light, revealing herself as a dark magenta alicorn. She had a white mane that had two small braids around her ears and fell down into two big swirls on each side of her, with streaks of aquamarine. She had light blue mascara around her blue eyes and wore black shield shaped bracelets around each of her legs.

The alicorn looked at the scene of Maretime Bay with a evil smile, "The spell that fool Twilight Sparkle cast to hide Equestria from me has finally been broken! And with her and her friends gone, there will be nopony who can stop me from taking what is mine! All the magic!" The alicorn let out an evil laugh.

Suddenly, green fire nearly hit the alicorn, making her duck. The alicorn shot a glare behind her at a second figure in the shadows, "You mean what is ours, Opaline Arcana!" The figure growled in a male voice, "Less you forget who gave you the dark power you now wield!"

"And less you forget who restored you to your physical form," Opaline reminded the figure, "So you best show some respect, considering that you have hardly any power yourself."

"Do not presume any less of me, Opaline!" The figure warned in a threatening manner, "I may be greatly weakened, but I could easily take all your power if I so desire!"

"Be that as it may, we can't afford to be at each others throats," Opaline noted, "Not if we want to gain all the power and rule over Equestria!"

"That is true," the figure admitted, "However, these five ponies, and especially the four descendants of my old enemies the Turtles, will undoubtedly stand in the way of our conquest. And if either of us have learned anything, is that we must not underestimate our enemies!"

Opaline considered this as she stared at the five ponies and four ninja girls, "Perhaps you're right," she admitted, "We'll have to keep on eye on these little ponies and ninjas. That's very good thinking.... Kavaxas!"

The second figure came into the light, revealing himself as the ancient demodragon himself, who chuckled darkly.

Watching the two from inside another room was a unicorn mare who looked nervous, “I have a bad feeling things are really gonna get worse here.”

Author's Note

And there you have the final epilogue of this story. Jebens1 provided the epilogue taking place at Roosevelt High. And to all my partners and such, just because I made this story doesn't mean you have to automatically start making Gen 5 stories now. Just continue to focus on the Gen 4 ideas you have in the works.

The characters featured in Roosevelt High were drawn up by Jebens1 which can be seen at deviantart with profiles to their characters

A New Generation

Author's Note

I know I'm still in the middle of my one Equestria Girls story and there are still more in the making. But I cannot wait any longer to make this one. Don't worry, there won't be any spoilers as to what happened in the last season of FIM which will include the turtles and all.

A New Generation

A winged pony silhouette flew into view from a distance before breaking through a sparkling rainbow, while cheering, “Whoo-hoo! Yeah!” It was Twilight Sparkle the Princess of Friendship. The mare who studied under the Princess of the Sun herself, Celestia.

She flew down to a riverbank where her five friends Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie have gathered for a picnic, “Hurry, friends! Time for another adventure!”

Pinkie gasped in excitement, as Rainbow Dash flew into view, “Adventure? I'm in!”

“Yee-hoo! Let's go, ponies!” Applejack cheered.

“Hey, you're not forgetting about us, are you?” came a male voice.

The six ponies looked to the side seeing four green coated anthro earth ponies wearing belts with holsters for their weapons. Each one had a colored mask that was the same color as their manes and tails.

There was Leonardo in Blue, Michelangelo in Orange, Donatello in Purple, and Raphael in Red. Twilight gasped, “How could we ever forget our friends the ninjas?” she flew to Leo who locked arms together.

“So we going on this adventure or what?” Raph asked rhetorically.

“I'm all set.” Donnie confirmed.

“Then let's do this thing,” Mikey said before announcing, “Booyakasha!”

And so they all took off with Twilight giving orders, “Earth ponies, take the lead!”

“Whoo-hoo!” Pinkie cheered, as she and Applejack charged.

“Pegasi, fly beside me!” Fluttershy and Rainbow followed in flight.

“Unicorns, horns at the ready!” Rarity trotted in the move igniting her horn.

“And ninjas, count it off!” Leo, Mikey, Donnie, and Raph each counted off.

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

“Four!”

All ten gathered on a grassy hilltop, backed by a rainbow and an eruption of hearts and bubbles in the air.

“For Equestria!” They announced together.

“What fantastical foe awaits us, Princess?” Rarity asked.

“Is it something scary?” Fluttershy asked sounding apprehensively.

“Or is it something awesome?” Rainbow asked in excitement.

"Hope it's something I can really sink my fists into!" Raph said eagerly.

“No matter what is it, we'll face it together.” Twilight assured them.

“Because we're a team!” Leo pumped a fist before drawing one of his swords.

“Yes. We are the guardians of friendship! With the power of our friendship and magic, we will…”

“Spread love!” Pinkie announced.

“Give hugs!” Fluttershy put in.

“Have pizza!” Mikey added.

Suddenly Rarity's eyes flashed red, and her teeth became sharp and pointy before speaking in a male's voice, “Fry brains!”

This got the others confused, “Huh?” Fluttershy asked.

“Wait, what?” Twilight wondered.

“What'd she say?” Donnie asked.

The sky started to darken and goes sickly green while Rarity's horn crackles, before continuing to speak in this new not so nice voice, “Yeah, I’m a unicorn and we're evil!” the ponies gasped and cried while the ninjas armed themselves, “I’m gonna zap everypony with my horn lasers!”

The ponies started screaming in fright as Rarity started chasing them while firing spells from her horn, while the ninjas tried to stop her.

Twilight tried to keep her cool and spoke in a different female voice, “What? No! No, no, no! It’s all wrong!”

The scene suddenly cut to three young ponies sitting around a table where wooden carved figurines of the six ponies, and four ninjas stood atop. The three little ponies was filly Sunny Starscout, and two colts known as Hitch Trailblazer, and Sprout Cloverleaf. Sunny was wearing a pair of cardboard wings strapped across her back, as she and the colts had been playing with the figurines, until Sprout started making trouble with the plot of their adventure.

“The ponies are all supposed to get along, remember?” Sunny reminded Sprout.

“Bo-o-o-ring!” Sprout answered clearly not believing in her claim.

“It’s like in the olden times when all three pony kinds were friends-” Sunny narrated.

“Ugh, here we go again.” Sprout groaned in boredom.

“-and they never used their magic against each other!” Sunny finished.

“You're wrong!” Sprout accused, as Sunny turned back to face him.

“No, I'm not!”

Sprout climbs onto the table knocking over the Pinkie and Mikey figures with Rarity, “My mom says the pegasi and unicorns tried to eat up all the earth ponies by zapping ’em with lasers and frying ’em to a crisp.”

“They wouldn't do that!” Sunny argued, as Sprout continued to spout his own story.

“So the earth ponies kicked their butts in an epic battle, and if they ever try to come back to Maretime Bay, we’ll kick their butts again!”

“That's not true!”

“It is so! And ninjas? Please! Everypony knows there never were any ninjas in Equestria.”

“Those are lies!” Sunny continued to protest before turning to the other colt who had been silent, “Hitch, tell him!”

Hitch felt nervous having wanted to avoid coming between the two, but answered, “Well, uh, that is kinda what our teacher said in history class, but...” Sunny sighed making Hitch guilty for not supporting his friend, “…but, hey, oh, we can play the game your way if you want, Sunny. I don’t mind.”

“Well, I do!” Sprout continued, as he jumped off the table, “It's a boring game. Ooh, let’s play Pegasus Barbecue instead!”

“Sprout, stop it!”

“Earth Pony Burgers!”

“I'm going to tell my dad!” Sunny warned him.

Meanwhile down in another room, a wall was decked out in a map of Equestria, on which sketches of the cutie marks of Twilight and all her friends taped up, among other symbols like a kikkyo or bell flower, a symbol of a foot print, and the symbol of the Utrom. The rest of the room was cluttered with books and artifacts, some being ninja weapons.

Sitting at a worktable in the middle of this barely organized chaos is Argyle Starshine; Sunny's father, who was applying paint to an open-sided lantern whose frame is decorated with cutouts shaped as ponies of all three tribes. The sound of the three foals’ argument breaks his concentration; on the start of the next exchange, a platform carrying them descends into the room. The two colts were engaged in a lively bit of inter-tribal skirmishing passing the table where a leather-bound journal book sat. The journal was stuffed with notes and loose pages so that the cover-embossed with the two central stars of Twilight’s cutie mark-strains against the clasp holding it shut.

“Horn fight!” Sprout declared, while fighting Hitch.

“You're going to break them!” Sunny protested while chasing the two.

“Take that, earth pony!” Hitch laughed while the two made laser shots.

Sunny spoke to her father wanting him to settle the dispute, “Dad, tell them that’s not what they do!”

Argyle stepped out from behind his table and was wearing a wooden pendant bearing a cutout of the two six-pointed stars at the center of Twilight’s cutie mark.

He spoke patiently to the colts, “Time to head on home, don’t you think, colts?”

Sprout just tossed the figurine aside, “Ugh, fine.” he and Hitch headed for the door.

The entrance swung open, and the boys gasped, as a shadow fell across them. It belonged to Phyllis Cloverleaf, an earth pony mare wearing a single pearl on a thin gold chain at her throat, as well as pink-framed cat’s-eye glasses in front of her eyes.

“Mom?” Sprout asked in shock.

Hitch just smiled, “Hello, Mrs. Cloverleaf!”

Phyllis spoke to Sprout in worry, “How many times have I told you? You cannot just go trotting off without my permission?” she then muttered under her breath, “Especially not here.”

Argyle approach having heard her muttering, “And why is that again, Phyllis?” he asked with a smug look.

“Because you are brainwashing their minds with all of your…uh, nonsense.” she accused.

Argyle not taking offense by the mare's words spoke calmly, “It’s called research, Phyllis. And, by the way, I leave all the brainwashing in Maretime Bay to you.” he teased back.

Then Sunny came and brought a plate of two treats, "Unicorn cupcake?" Argyle asked.

Sunny said in singsong, “Freshly baked!"

"Nuh-uh!" Phyllis said.

"How about pegasus sugar cookies?" Argyle asked again.

Sunny said in singsong again, “One bite!"

Phyllis answered,"No thank you!"

"Oh, why not try these TMNT pies?"Argyle said as he handed out a plate of 4 pies that looked like green turtle shells, “An old recipe I found through my research.”

Sunny spoke in singsong, “You won't be sorry!"

Phyllis looked at the pies disgusted,"Ew! What is in those pies? Slime?"

"It's vanilla pudding." Argyle answered smugly.

Sunny continued to sell it, "It's delicious!"

"Ugh. You know you're an earth pony, Argyle," Phyllis groaned and she pulled Sprout away before he could have a bite, "You should really start acting like one. At least for her sake."

Sunny then took a bite on the unicorn cupcake and had pink frosting on her lips,"Mmm!” she giggled. Argyle and her daughter watched the three ponies trotting slowly back home. Argyle still had his smug look on his face as he kept staring at them before he closed the door.

Outside the mare and the colts walked down the path leading away from Argyle and Sunny's home being a lighthouse on a grassy hilltop overlooking a placid shoreline.

"Who does he think he is? Talking to me like that? That pony is trouble!" Phyllis said.

"Don't worry, mommy. When I become sheriff, I'll keep every pony in line." Young Sprout promised to her.

"Hmm, Sheriff Sprout,” she chuckled, “It does have a certain ring to it."

Argyle kept the front door open just a crack so he could listen in. He closed it causing a framed photograph on the wall nearby to tilt askew. It was of himself giving Sunny a ride on his back. Nudging it level, he found his daughter slumping glumly at the kitchen counter and regarding her Rainbow, Raph, Leo, and Rarity figurines. The icing around her mouth had already been cleaned away. She voiced a barely audible sigh as he crosses to her.

“What’s the matter, Sunny-Bunny?”

“Hitch and Sprout still don’t believe me.” she answered.

“Maybe one day they will. But the important thing is that you stand up for what you believe in. Okay?”

Sunny renewed with hope smiled and circled her father, “Well, when I grow up, I’m going to show everypony that we’re right.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah! And someday, the both of us will meet unicorns, or a pegasus, and we’ll be best friends forever.”

Argyle smiled, “Well, maybe today’s that day,” he glanced out the window and pointed, “Look! A unicorn!”

Sunny gasped and raced over to the window, while Argyle ducked out of view, “Where? Where?”

“Over here!”

Sunny looked back seeing her father proudly wearing a cardboard horn on his forehead while giving a cocked-eyebrow smile. The horn slid down to his nose, prompting laughter from the two, as he slipped it back into place. Sunny climbed onto his back as he galloped around.

“Whee! I’m soaring through the sky!” Sunny cheered while pretending to be a pegasus, before gasped, “Wait, dad! I have an idea!”

The two went up to the lantern room of the lighthouse where the beacon was. Sunny was at the central table drawing something as her father looked on, as outside started shifting into the evening. Argyle started to read Sunny's message.

“Dear unicorns and pegasi: You have friends in Maretime Bay. Come visit us.”

“Can we send it?” Sunny asked hopefully.

“I think it's our duty.” Argyle replied.

They attached the note to a paper lantern before setting it too to float off into the night hoping it would reach either the pegasi or unicorns to let them know they would be welcomed to Maretime Bay to the father and daughter. Argyle took his fake unicorn horn and put it on Sunny making her feel like an alicorn. Sunny giggled and nuzzled his foreleg affectionately.

“Can you tell me the story?” she pleaded.

“Again?” Argyle asked.

“Pleeeease?”

Argyle chuckled, as he decided to tell his daughter one of the oldest stories in Equestria, “Once upon a time, many, many moons ago in ancient Equestria, there lived a very special-”

“Unicorn!” Sunny declared.

Argyle chuckled, and continued, “The unicorn was very bright.”

“As bright as the sun!” Sunny continued.

Soon inside Sunny bedroom, the filly was sitting up in bed playing with her Twilight figurine, while Argyle read from his journal at her bedside.

“One day, the Princess summoned her to the castle for an important assignment.”

“To learn about friendship!” Sunny cheered.

“Mm-hm.” Argyle confirmed, as he took the figurine from her and put in on her nightstand with the rest of the figurines, “She soon made lots of new friends.”

“Earth ponies, pegasuses, and unicorns.” Sunny continued, as her father resumed.

“Together, they showed everypony the magic of friendship, and how to live in harmony.” he held up a lantern device.

“Wow... you finished it!” Sunny gasped.

“Pretty neat, huh? Earth ponies watched in wonder as pegasi painted rainbows across the sky. The nights were lit up by a hundred unicorn horns.”

He sat the device on the shelf and wound it up. A light inside glows as the framework begins to rotate…images of ponies appear on the walls/ceiling and begin to move within a scatter of stars as the frame slowly rotates and the filly voices a quiet gasp.

“It's beautiful,” Sunny said in awe, “Dad, could you also tell me about the ninjas from old Equestria?”

“Of course,” Argyle smiled, as he looked through another portion of his journal, “This bit of knowledge was the hardest for me to come across, but finding it was worth it.” He began to narrate another tale using shadow play puppetry. Sunny watched the wall as her father used the shadows of the puppets of the characters to tell his story.

“Four turtles....four brothers....genetically reborn in the sewers of New York city in another world. Named after the great Renaissance masters....and trained as ninjas by their father Splinter. They battled many creatures and foes before defeating their archenemy...the Shredder!”

Sunny gasped at the shadow of Shredder on her wall, as Argyle continued, “They forged their own bonds of friendship with the ponies of Equestria, and beyond the stars. From the smartest of Utroms to the strongest of Triceratons. Whenever they were needed they would be there to fight the good fight.”

Sunny smiled, “I wish I had a friend who could fly around or float things. Even a ninja,” she yawned, “Why can't we be friends anymore?”

Argyle sighed. It was something he had been trying to figure out for years since he began researching old Equestria, “That, my darling, is a big question,” he stroked her cheek, “And maybe one day, we’ll figure it out together. We’ll do our part…” Sunny touched a front hoof to his.

“Hoof to heart.” they said together.

Argyle placed a gentle kiss on the bridge of Sunny's nose, he turned for the door, as Sunny spoke, “Goodnight, daddy.”

“Goodnight, my little pony.” he exited the room.

Sunny looked to the group of figurines on her nightstand, “Goodnight, friends.” she closed her eyes and fell asleep wishing one day things could be like they used to be between the pony tribes.

Meanwhile that very night in the busy city of New York, above ground things were active as always. Humans, Aliens, Mutants, even Robots were going about the night like ordinary civilians. But far below in the sewers inside a lair was something else going on.

In a training dojo stood four little girl mutants. An albino turtle, and three weasels. The four squinted at each other waiting for the other to make a move. Soon upon instincts the four leaped to the center of the training area and were going at it in a free for all match. The four little ones were using basic hand to hand combat moves trying to outdo each other.

The four had been evenly matched and ended up tiring each other out. They fell to the floor looking exhausted.

“So, who won that time?” one of the weasels asked.

“It was a tie, Zanna.” the albino turtle answered.

“Speak for yourself, Lita,” the second weasel replied, “I could've totally won this match if Mushroom didn't get in my way.” she motioned to the third weasel.

“I beg to differ, Zink,” Mushroom argued, “You're the one who stepped in front of me causing yourself to fall.”

Zink frowned, until they heard footsteps approaching. Stepping into the light were the former ninja turtle bros, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo who looked much older than they used to be.

“Blaming your failure on others will not do you any good, Zink.” Raph began.

Zink got up and bowed her head, “Yes, sensei Raphael.”

Mikey turned to the others, “And this lesson applies to all of you as well.” the other three got up and stood before the two old turtles.

“Yes, sensei Michelangelo.” they said together.

“Still you are all improving. But you must learn to work together as a team.” Leo continued.

“The world is a strange place above ground, more than it was back in our day.” Donnie explained.

“But just because the world above accepted the existence of mutants doesn't mean all will be welcoming of you.” Raph said.

“That's why we've trained you,” Mikey continued, “To prepare you for what's out there not just in New York but beyond as well.”

The four nodded their heads in understanding, as Leo spoke, “Now then. This concludes tonight's practice. Time for bed.”

“I hear that.” Zanna yawned, as the four young ones followed their senseis out of the training hall.

The four old turtles put the young mutants to bed, before Lita spoke up, “Sensei Leonardo. Could you tell us the story?”

Zanna shot her head up in bed, “Ooh, I love the story.”

“Me too!” Mushroom said, getting comfortable.

“Meh, I could go for it.” Zink said.

“Sorry, kids. But it's late.” Raph said, making them pout.

“Come on, Raph, they love it when we tell it.” Leo reminded his brother.

“And it's a good story too.” Mikey added.

“It's one of our faves.” Donnie nudged him.

Raph soon enough cracked a smile, “Oh, alright. Leo, you know what to do.”

Leo nodded, as the bros sat before the young ones, as Leo began narrating a story to them.

“Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria, there lived a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle. She was tasked by her mentor Princess Celestia to go to a nearby town of ponies to make friends, despite not being interested in it. But she soon opened herself up to friendship and since then made friends with lots of ponies, among other creatures from dragons, changelings, griffons, hippogriffs, yaks, to even creatures beyond the land from Utrom, Triceraton, Daagon, Mutants, and more.”

“Like you guys.” Lita recalled.

“That's right.” Mikey confirmed.

Leo continued, “We aided Twilight in several adventures with the help our our friends, allies, and more. It's thanks to us Equestria had been saved countless times.”

“Why haven't you gone back there again if you were so renowned?” Mushroom asked curiously.

“Well, times have changed. We moved on, and our friends moved on. Besides we're too old to be doing dimensional travel these days.” Leo confessed.

“It can be very strenuous.” Donnie confessed.

“Still, we all think about Equestria a lot. And all the friends we made there.” Mikey admitted.

“Unfortunately, by now all those friends we had there are long gone.” Raph sighed.

“But they still live on through our memories,” Leo explained, “And trust me, we could never forget them.” Leo said thinking about Princess Twilight.

“You think we could ever go to Equestria?” Zanna asked.

“Yeah, Sensei Donatello has his dimensional portal ray.” Mushroom remembered.

“True, but I haven't used it in a long time. It's outdated.” Donnie noted.

“We could always upgrade it.” Mushroom suggested.

“Yeah, then we can meet the ponies of Equestria and have fun and adventures there like you all did!” Zanna cheered.

“Could we, sensei?” Lita asked Leo hopefully.

Leo chuckled, “That would be something. But you girls are still very young and in-training. We'll decide when the time is right for you to journey to Equestria and see it for yourselves.”

The girls sighed, as Lita spoke, “Ok.”

“Goodnight, girls.” Mikey said.

“Night, senseis.” the four answered, as the old turtles left the room.

When the coast was clear, the four opened their eyes and saw no one was coming. The three weasel mutants climbed into Lita's bed, and got under the covers while using a flashlight to see.

“Wouldn't it be awesome to go to Equestria?” Lita asked.

“Where unicorns and pegasi live.” Zanna marveled.

“I'll bet there's all sorts of stuff to do there.” Zink said.

“And imagine all the history we could learn from it up close.” Mushroom added.

“Girls, one day we'll make it to Equestria. I know it.” Lita promised her sisters.

“Yeah.” the weasels agreed, as they put their hands in making the promise together.

Royal Celebration Disaster

Sunny, Izzy, and the ninja girls with their new friend Zipp made a decision to steal the Pegasus crystal from Queen Haven's crown and find the Unicorn Crystal with the hope of uniting the two and bring back magic to Equestria. But it wasn't going to be easy. Luckily Zipp had a plan.

“Alright, Izzy, Zanna. I'll get the supplies you two need,” Zipp began, as she explained things as they happen, “I'll pass them off to Sunny and Mushroom, and they'll get them to you.”

With the supplies needed, Izzy and Zanna started crafting a decoy crown to swap with the Queen's real one.

“Once you've produced the decoy, get your flanks to the palace.”

“You got it.” Zink confirmed.

“Everypony who's anypony will be there.”

By nighttime guests were arriving at the castle to see the royal celebration, while Zipp was walking the red carpet flaunting her stuff, “Security will be tight. I'll distract them. So you all can sneak in.”

“Maximum sneaky.” Izzy said.

“We got it.” Lita added.

From the elevator Zipp came out of, Sunny, Izzy, and the ninjas peeked into view from the door-frame, as Lita motioned them to move. They crept around making sure to stay out of sight.

“You'll really need to be stealthy. Carefully make your way to the grand hall, but watch out for the guards.”

As they made it inside they stopped and gasped seeing Zoom and Thunder up ahead on duty with Thunder taking glances at his phone while no one was looking. Luckily they hadn't spotted them, as the girls dove for cover under the tablecloth draped on a handy room-service cart. However, their momentum caused it to roll a few feet, jolting an empty vase among the dishes making it overturn with a clink. Thunder shoots it a brief glance before turning back to his phone, and the cart begins to move again, propelled by the undetected equines.

They moved the table further away as Zipp walked by a back door to the throne room, “I’ll open the door to the backstage of the throne room.”

She put her hoof to the doors lock opening it, as the girls move the table to the front of the door and slipped inside. They stood behind the three thrones keeping an eye out as the pegasi citizens poured in.

“And once Pipp starts singing, my mom will be so caught up that swapping the crowns will be easy-breezy.”

“Easy-breezy. Sure.” Sunny said to herself.

“Hey, at least we're in.” Lita reminded her.

“Next we swipe the crown.” Zink said.

“I hope this works.” Sunny said worry.

“Don't worry, we got this.” Izzy told her.

“I hope so.”

Meanwhile above the throne on another floor, the royal family were preparing themselves, as Queen Haven spoke to Zipp.

“I hear you paid our guests a visit.”

“Pipp told you?” Zipp asked in disbelief.

“Oh, you know she tells me everything. I wish you would tell me more. You’re going to be Queen one day. You’ll wear this crown. And trust me, it is heavier than it looks.”

“Actually, there is something I wanted to tell you,” Zipp admitted, as she prepared herself, “The unicorns don’t have any magic. I-I think it’s tied to why we can’t fly and I-” Queen Haven's face hardened and interrupted her.

“Zephyrina! I don’t know what silly ideas that unicorn put into your head, but we have a duty to protect our citizens. Pegasi are happy enough knowing that we royals can fly. Why would you want to disrupt things?”

“Cause it's a lie!”

“It makes them feel safe. Oh, one day you’ll understand.” the Queen said making Zipp frown.

“What I understand is Zink was right about you.”

Haven looked to her daughter curiously, “Zink?”

“One of the ninjas you threw in jail without giving them a chance to explain themselves. You always say Earth Ponies and Unicorns were bad news, but none of us have ever seen one before, especially not ponies that stand on two legs. How could you have been so sure they were any different than how we thought of the other two tribes?”

“Zephyrina, as queen it is my duty to ensure the safety of my citizens, especially from unknown types of creatures,” the queen sighed again, “I truly hope you'll understand. Your sister does. Oh, and here she is now!”

Pipp who was suspended a few feet off thee ground by wiring and an unseen harness came over, “Mi-mi-miiii…” she sang while flaring her wings.

“Oh, showtime!” Haven announced, as she spread her own wings.

A technician stallion at a backstage control panel was watching a monitor that shows four different camera angles. Most of the screen is taken up by an image of Pipp dangling near the railing; the others show her from a slightly different perspective, Haven’s throne, and a closed curtain. He turns his head to address himself over his shoulder, “We are go for launch.”

Music started playing as the lights dimmer, and the tech pony pulled a switch to lower Haven and Zipp into the throne room. Both are now hooked up to flight wires; Pipp remains up top.

“Remember to smile.” Haven told her daughter.

“Ugh...” Zipp groaned, as they spread their wings as spotlights blaze upon them.

Ponies in the street watched on the building-mounted screens as they settle into their seats, Cloudpuff already balanced on one arm of Haven’s and barking in rhythm. Cut to just behind Zipp’s and Haven’s thrones; Zipp throws a quick glance back toward Sunny and the others, hunkered down behind the big chair. Sunny gave the others a firm nod.

“This is it.” Lita said quietly.

Pipp who was floating above came down from the ceiling and glided around singing.

Pipp: We got the light, we’re coming in stronger

We’re in it together, if you want it, it’s all inside your mind

We got the light, won’t wait any longer

We’ll get it together, if you want it, then you can paint the sky

As she made a few low-altitude passes over the crowd, Haven watched with great satisfaction. Lita begins to reach over the top of the throne in a bid for the crown, but quickly ducks away to avoid a passing spotlight beam. She is standing on the palms of Zink and Zanna, who grunts in discomfort trying to keep her sister steady.

Lita made it back up and, in one lightning-fast move, plucks the crown off Haven's head and leaves the decoy crown in its place. Zipp eyes her worriedly, but relaxes at both her mother’s lack of notice and her friend’s smile of triumph. Lita ducked out of sight behind the throne.

“Success.” Lita told them.

“Good, now let's get out of here.” Sunny said.

Pipp: I used to care what they’d say, let ’em into my brain

But I found the new way [Ooh-ooh]

Every time I fall down, I pick it up like rebound

Gotta get through somehow

The group started sneaking off as Cloudpuff lets off a quiet, puzzled bark feeling something was off. The group raced to a set of closed doors in a darkened area, Sunny having stuffed the crown into her saddlebag. She hits a button to open them, but is met with the sight of a guard stallion on the phone unaware of the group.

“No, you hang up,” the guard insisted, “No, y-”

Sunny quickly closed the doors, “Awkward.” Mushroom told the group.

They heard whimpering before looking down and saw Cloudpuff, “Oh, aren't you adorable?” Zanna cooed, “Cootchie-cootchie-coo!” suddenly Cloudpuff snarled going into attack-dog mode.

“Run!” Lita shouted, as they started running as the little dog chased them.

“I can't believe we're running from something so small!” Zink told her sisters.

“Smaller the deadlier!” Zanna noted.

Pipp: We don’t fly like we used to, we take what we’ve been through

And we can feel brand-new [Ooh-ooh-ooh]

As the little dog maintains pursuit, Pipp continues her aerial ballet.

“Quick through there!” Lita motioned to a pair of doors.

They threw them open only for the group to yelp in surprise. For on the other side as if waiting for them was Hitch wearing a fake mustache and a pair of buckled-on wings.

“Sunny Starscout, you are under arre-” Zink punched Hitch in the muzzle before slamming the door.

“Zink!” Sunny chided.

“It was an impulse! Besides we can't deal with him right now.” she argued.

“Girls, the pup's back!” Zanna motioned to Cloudpuff.

The dog dove for Sunny's saddlebag grabbing the crown racing off carrying it in his teeth.

“No!” Sunny cried.

“Get that dog!” Lita ordered.

Pipp: I know I am a fighter, I feel the fire

I’m shining brighter [Ooh-ooh-ooh]

As they chased after the dog, Hitch banged the doors open determined to chase them down, “Oh, my muzzle.” he groaned, before looking around the throne room before up at Pipp.

Pipp: Glowin’ up kinda love, dip and slide through the cut

Glowin’ up kinda love, dip and slide through the cut

Glowin’ up kinda love, we say, “hi,” you say, “what?”

As Hitch watched, he involuntarily shook his flank and tail to the rhythm. He regained his senses and started nosing around for Sunny and the others.

The girls continued tailing Cloudpuff to get the crown back, only for two guards move closer for a better view of the show, prompting Izzy to gasp and both to dive out of sight.

“He's taking it back to the throne!” Zanna motioned.

“Oh, no!” Sunny feared the Queen spotting him.

Cloudpuff sat at the bottom of the dais facing Haven but she hadn't noticed him, having been too caught up in her daughter's show.

Pipp: Everywhere that I’ve been, yeah, they say I’m different

But I’m good in my skin [Ooh-ooh]

Zipp managed to spot her mom's pet and left her seat, sliding down the incline and grabbing hold of the wingtips on the Pegasus Crystal. A vigorous tug-of-war ensues between them.

“Give…it…to…me!” Zipp ordered while straining to get it.

She ends up holding the gold portion, but Cloudpuff got away with the actual crystal and was off like a shot through the crowd, with Zipp after him.

Pipp: If it doesn’t feel right, break it in with tie-dye

And don’t you stop ’til sunrise

We don’t fly like we used to, we take what we’ve been through

And we can feel brand-new [Ooh-ooh-ooh]

Mushroom spotted Hitch who spotted them back giving a sardonic grin, “We need to disappear.” she ordered everyone.

“Behind here!” Izzy called, as they backpedaled through a nearby curtain.

Unfortunately they backed right into the backstage control room where the tech pony spotted them and screamed in fright while jittering around.

“It's the prisoners!” he ran circles around the console; the mares try in vain to intercept him.

“No, no, no! Shh, shh!” Sunny pleaded.

“Quiet!” Izzy added.

“We're not going to hurt you!” Lita told him.

“Unless you give us reason too.” Zink spoke up making her sisters glare at her.

Cloudpuff continued to elude Zipp who was blocked by so many ponies. The pup not looking where he was going ended up running into Hitch's legs losing the crystal.

“Huh?” Hitch asked looking down at the canine.

Suddenly upon seeing Hitch sparked something inside Cloudpuff who dropped his attack-dog behavior and looked at the stallion with big doggy eyes and smile, before whining in joy.

Backstage the girls tried to calm the tech pony, “It’s okay, don’t be scared.” Sunny told him.

“I'm not gonna fry your brain, okay?” Izzy asked.

Unfortunately the tech pony wasn't calming down and ended up climbing atop the control panel and ended up hitting a button making the spotlights on Pipp falter.

“What the-?” Pipp wondered.

Suddenly the spotlight stopped on Hitch who froze in place, as the ponies looked to him. Not wanting to stand out he started to dance badly and sing out of rhythm.

Hitch: Throwin’ up, find a glove, fly around, up above

Doin’ stuff that I love, you’re like, “Why?” I’m like, “What?”

Backstage the group saw Hitch performing and stared in shock, “Remind me not to take him to karaoke.” Zanna told them.

“Uh-huh.” Izzy agreed.

Pipp watched Hitch completely confused, “What is happening?” even Cloudpuff whined in discomfort about Hitch's poor performance.

Hitch: Crisp and dry, eat some mud, glowing up, lovey-dove

You say, “Why?”

In the tech pony's mad scramble to get away from the girls, he kept hitting several buttons, killing the audio track, and yanks a switch that sent Pipp swinging and rising out of control.

“Whoooaaa!” she cried, and trailed off screaming as Hitch and the crowd gasp in fright; Zipp seizes the moment to retrieve the dropped Pegasus Crystal and snuck away with it.

The yelling tech pony barges out through the curtain, as the others followed him before Zipp arrived.

“I got it!” she told them.

“Nice save.” Mushroom said in relief.

“Yes!” Sunny cheered as she took it.

“Let's go!” Zipp ordered, as they were about to make a run for it, only for Hitch to spot them.

“Freeze!”

The group did so catching sight of him across the throne room gasping, but resume their hasty exit as a commotion broke out in the crowd.

“It's the prisoners!” a pegasus pony cried.

Pipp ended up swinging by close enough to dislodge the fake wings off Hitch exposing his true identity, “Another earth pony!” a mare cried.

Hitch seeing his cover was blown cleared out, as Pipp yelled again before coming to a sudden dead stop. She wound up dangling upside down over Haven’s throne, the few active spotlights trained squarely on her and picking out her wires for all to see. A beat of dead silence is followed by a disbelieving gasp from all present on the ground.

“She’s a fake!…Fake!” one took a picture of her.

“The royals can’t fly either?” Another asked in shock.

Zipp halted and looked back across the space with a soft gasp, seeing the wide, pleading eyes of her inverted younger sister.

“Zipp?” she asked.

Zink spoke to the oldest while running past her with Lita, Zanna, and Mushroom, “Come on!”

As Sunny and Izzy race for the door, the former runs into Zipp and the crystal flew out of her saddlebag.

“Zipp! Hurry!” she galloped away.

“They can’t fly?…Fake!…She’s faking it!” the spectators continued to announce.

Zipp followed the others away, as none of them noticed that the Pegasus Crystal had fallen to the floor. Pipp is left at the mercy of the spotlights’ glare and the clicking of camera shutters as dozens of phones are held up to get a good clear shot.

Later the girls and Hitch were running along a city street as police sirens wailed through the night.

“Yeah, now this reminds me of New York.” Zanna told her sisters who had no time to retort.

“Quick! This way!” Zipp ordered, as they took a sharp left into an alley and stopped. Hitch coming to rest behind a trash can and very nearly wiping it out.

“Okay. I think we lost ’em.” he said, as a winged rat scampered out from behind the container and hugs one of his hind legs with a joyful little squeak.

“Hitch, what're you even doing here?” Sunny asked in confusion.

“And it better be a good reason.” Lita added.

“Arresting you!” he began to them making the ninjas frown, “And... saving you, so, you know, little bit of both, actually. You’re welcome!” he finished indignantly.

“You want another punch to your muzzle? Because I'm willing to do it again!” Zink raised a fist only for Lita to stop her.

“Down, Zink!”

Zipp chuckled sarcastically and stepped up to Hitch, “Oh, gee, thanks. But we don’t need any saving, okay?”

“And you are?” Hitch asked.

“Her mom is the Queen!” Izzy answered.

Hitch did a double take before looking at Zipp, “So that means…you’re a princess?

“Huh. Look at that. The Sheriff just became a detective.” Zipp dryly told the ninja girls making Zanna and Zink chuckle.

“What?” Hitch asked.

“Uh, guys, look!” Mushroom motioned to the big screens on the buildings seeing a breaking news story come up, with a graphic of the upside-down Pipp appears next to her, marked by a “BREAKING NEWS” caption.

Dazzle began relaying her report, “Breaking story. Zephyr Heights is in turmoil tonight after the shocking revelation that the royals cannot fly.”

It cut to a random citizen being interviewed about what happened, “Pipp used to be my favorite!”

Soon more pegasi were expressing their outrage, “If we can’t trust our own royalty, who can we trust?…I blame the unicorns and the earth ponies. They ruin everything! I'll bet those two legged ponies had something to do with it too!”

“Really, blaming us for something we didn't know about until today?!” Zink growled.

Dazzle received a notice off from the side, “This just in. Queen Haven has been arrested for being a phony pony full of baloney.”

Zipp gasped, as Haven was being escorted off by Zoom and Thunder, “No comment! And no photos! Ok, one photo.” she struck a glamorous, smiling pose with one foreleg raised, and a flash pops to capture it. The bulletin ends.

“Well, this went so well!” Zink said in sarcasm.

“Anypony care to explain” Hitch asked the girls.

“We had to get the crystal,” Sunny explained while reaching into her saddlebag, “Look,” she found nothing, “Oh, no, no, no, no, no! It’s not here!”

“Seriously?” Zipp asked wishing it was a joke.

“After all that?!” Mushroom asked in disbelief.

“Oh, great!” Lita dropped her head.

“On the bright side, we had so much fun losing it.” Izzy tried to be positive.

“We have to go back!” Sunny ordered.

“But it could be anywhere!” Zipp noted.

“And we're fugitives here now!” Zanna cried.

The rattle of a tin can halted the group. They turn toward the noise as the ninjas were ready to draw their weapons. There stood a silhouette at the opposite end of the alley. The figure emerges into the light revealing a noticeably disheveled and disgruntled Pipp.

“Somepony seriously needs to explain why this thing was so important that you had to ruin my whole show over it!” Pipp asked holding up the Pegasus Crystal.

Everyone was relieved as Zipp went to her sister, “Trust me, it was.” she reached for it, only for Pipp to pull it away.

“You left me hanging there, in the spotlight! Now everypony knows we can’t fly!”

Suddenly Pipp's phone vibrated, and she brought it up finding it to be playing a second bulletin. Now Haven’s mug shot is displayed next to Dazzle.

“A warrant is out for the arrest of the Princesses.” the news anchor began.

Haven's image expanded filling the screen, “Pipp, Zipp, save yourselves!” She swiftly arranges her face into a dignified profile pose and her picture is taken.

“What?!? This is not happening. This is so not happening!” Pipp said putting her phone away.

“Pipp!” Zipp snapped her sister out of it, “Forget about all that. We think we can bring back magic, but we need that crystal.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Pipp questioned her sister.

“Please. This might be our only chance.” Zipp insisted.

“And ya kinda don't have too big a choice here.” Zink reminded her of the situation.

Pipp seeing no other alternative groaned loudly, “Fine! I know a way out. Come on.”

“Lead the way!” Lita ordered.

She galloped back the way she came as the girls started following. Hitch on the other hand looked on incredulously over being ignored.

“ What? Wait, you can’t just-” he called petulantly, “But I'm a sheriff!” he growled in frustration.

Mushroom stopped and looked back, “Not here you're not!”

“So you can either join us or we leave you for the cops!” Zink gave him an ultimatum, “Your choice!” they continued on. Hitch groaned as he swallowed his pride before following them.

As they made their escape Zanna ran beside Pipp, “You know we haven't had a proper introduction. I'm Zanna, this is Lita, Zink, and Mushroom.” Pipp could just sigh for this was not the way she wanted her night to go.

Meanwhile back at Canterlogic in Maretime Bay, the factory employees were building constructing something by Sprout's orders to help them fight the threat of the potential invading pony tribes.

The elevator from an upper floor came down and opened up as it looked like Sprout standing in it while breathing heavily. He came into the light to reveal he was sipping a smoothie loudly. He had now started wearing a high raised black collar secured by a gold copy of the badge decoration he took from the office.

He spoke to Toots and Sweets, “Why aren’t you finished yet?”

“W-We’re working as fast as we can, but-but we’ve run out of rivets.” Toots explained nervously.

Sprout rolled his eyes and spoke sarcastically, “Riveting story,” he let out a fake chuckle before grabbing Toots' tie dragging him closer, “Just make it work, okay?”

The two employees scuttle away as a pipe swings past, occupied by a screaming laborer. Soon Phyllis arrived and spoke sweetly to her son, “Sugarcube... I know your little top secret project is important and all, but when do you think my workers can get back to making Canterlogic products?” She was cut off by the growing sound of a yell, and the pony uttering it drops into view and hits the floor with a loud groan.

“Back to work, Glitter Cupcake!” Sprout ordered the pony who staggered upright and was hoisted away by a clamp.

Phyllis walked with her son, “And it is my factory, after all, dear.”

“But it’s my town, Mommy!” Sprout whined before regaining confidence, “Your son’s now Emperor of Maretime Bay!”

“Emperor?” Phyllis asked surprised before scoffing, “But yesterday you were only the sheriff.”

“Well, see how fast I’m climbing the ranks? This defense factory is going on offense!” Sprout explained, “Take a look, I've already finished having the Hoof Bots refurbished and ready.”

Phyllis looked seeing a squad of Hoof Bots stepping into view. No longer looking poorly made and designed at the last minute. They now stood with their bodies colored black and gray with glowing red eyes. They attacked some targets set up completely destroying them.

“Aren't they perfect?” Sprout asked, as the Hoof Bots bowed to Sprout, “And it’s all thanks to your love and encouragement,” he ordered another worker, “Break’s over, Bubblegum McGinty!” he walked along leaving behind his mother who gave a very concerned gaze at him.

“Oh, dear. Somepony’s getting a big head.” she told herself, fearing she just made a big mistake when encouraging her son.

She walked off after Sprout as welding is carried out behind a floor-to-ceiling translucent screen set up as a glare protector. Flashes from the sparks give split-second views of a colossal framework being assembled.

A lone Hoof Bot spotted a poster depicting a unicorn and pegasus in a bad light before throwing two shuriken stars nailing each image.

Raging War

After the failure of bringing magic back to Equestria with the Pegasus and Unicorn Crystals, Sunny, Hitch, and the ninja girls headed back to Maretime Bay. Even though Hitch would resume his duties as sheriff, Sunny herself didn't know what else she had to do since aside from her smoothie work she didn't have much left since she was focused on carrying on her dad's research. But now it felt like it no longer mattered. Even the ninjas were bummed over their failure. They had one mission to do and now it felt like they failed.

By the time they reached the Welcome to Maretime Bay sign, the sky started getting darker as nighttime was drawing close.

Hitch looked to Lita, “So what're you four going to do now?”

“Honestly, I do not know.” Lita admitted dismally, as she started walking away for the forest outside town.

“We'll keep an eye on her.” Zanna promised.

“And for what it's worth, we did enjoy traveling with all of you.” Mushroom assured them.

“Especially you, Sunny.” Zink added.

Sunny felt glad to hear that, but it wasn't enough to brighten her mood. So the three followed Lita, as Hitch spoke to his long time friend, “I'm right here if you need to talk, Sunny.”

Sunny just gave Hitch one long, lugubrious look and continues on toward her home, leaving him to heave a quiet sigh and start moving back in the direction of town.

Sunny entered her home, with all traces of her normal exuberance completely wiped out, and stood at the threshold for a few seconds that seemed like forever before entering. The closing of the door knocks the picture of herself and Argyle askew as it has before, but this time she did not even try to set it right like before; instead, she went to sit at her bedroom window and stare forlornly out to the darkening sky.

Voicing a sigh, she looked toward the shelf by her bed, where her figurines of Twilight, her friends, and the ninja bros are still lined up by the lantern Argyle made for her. She then took an open-topped wooden box and placed the figurines in it, keeping them in line; followed by the lantern. She then went up to the lighthouse’s lantern room; and started taking down her posters, pictures, and notes of Canterlogic and all.

Sunny looked to the circular table at which she designed her picket materials for the Canterlogic show. It was still littered with supplies and half-finished sketches, which she began to brush aside only to freeze upon noticing part of the design worked into the tabletop. More perplexed than morose, she continued to clear the papers away and gets a good look at the picture. Engraved into the surface is a simplified representation of the joined Pegasus and Unicorn Crystals, including the circular gap enclosed by them. She peers closely at the image, gingerly tracing a hoof over its surface, and the lantern comes to life in response to a sunbeam striking it from an angle that just misses her shoulder.

Sunny stood up to full height with slowly widening eyes, which she fixes on the spherical beacon above the table. The lantern’s beam connects solidly with this item and causes it to blaze up intensely for a moment, throwing images of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns all over every horizontal and vertical surface of this chamber. She turns to the lantern as the display ceases and gets a good look at its light source, a colorless circular crystal set into the base. Curiously she removed it and looked toward the table again. Hesitantly, she places the stone onto the circle representing the gap at the center of the two united crystals. It sinks into the tabletop, the remainder of the design doing likewise in sections; she stares down at this bit of mechanical action, her brain completely locked up by confusion and dawning comprehension.

“We were right!” she gasped.

Meanwhile back around the forest outside Maretime Bay, Lita had stopped walking and sat by a creek still silent since they left their earth pony friends.

“What do we do now, Lita?” Zanna asked.

“What else can we do, Zanna?” Lita asked rhetorically.

“Well, there's always something.” Mushroom believed.

“Come on, Lita, we're just giving up?” Zink asked in disbelief.

“What else can we do? We couldn't bring back magic with the crystals. We've exposed the royal family being unable to fly and ruining their lives. And we got the unicorns hopes up all for nothing. We failed.” Lita sighed in defeat.

“It's true failure hurts,” came a voice, as the four looked and saw Leo, Raph, and Donnie still as turtles standing close by, “But it can also be an experience to learn from.”

“Senseis!” the four gasped.

“Good to see you, squirts.” Raph smiled.

“You've all really been busy as of late,” Donnie noted before turning to Mushroom, “Nice you finally re-tuned my old portal projector, Mush.”

“Thank you, Donnie-sensei.” Mushroom said gratefully.

Lita spoke up to Leo, “Sensei-Leo, we are so sorry. We had one mission and yet we failed. And yet we were so sure we could've made a difference.”

“But you did make a difference.” Leo reminded her.

“How?”

Raph spoke up, “You gave Sunny hope in all of you, convinced a stubborn Hitch he was wrong about all pony tribes, showed Izzy she had friends outside Bridlewood, showed Zipp anything is possible, even gave Pipp real friendship outside social media.”

“I'd say you girls made a real big difference.” Donnie noted.

“A lot of good it did us,” Lita sighed, “We still couldn't bring back the magic. Now every pony's just gonna continue to be miserable.”

Leo approached and put a hand on Lita's shoulder, “Lita, you know as well as I have, the mission is never over until you've given up. And I never trained you to give up.”

“No, sensei.” Lita confirmed.

“So I suggest you all finish what you started here.” Leo instructed.

“But how?” Zink asked.

“You can start by going to see Sunny.” Leo suggested, as Raph and Donnie nodded.

“Sunny?” Lita asked, as she and her sisters looked in the direction of the lighthouse, “But what will we-” she stopped as they looked back seeing their senseis were gone.

“Gone.” Zanna gasped.

“What now?” Mushroom asked Lita.

Lita dropping her dismal mood replaced it with a determined look, “We finish the mission.” Her sisters cheered seeing their leader was back in her right mood.

They rushed from the forest heading for Sunny's home, only to see the earth pony gallop out the door, “Sunny!” the sisters called.

“Girls!” Sunny called, as she pulled to a halt in front of them, “I'm so glad you're still here. We were right about the crystals.”

“We were?” Zanna asked.

“What do you mean?” Zink asked.

“I'll explain later, but we gotta get Hitch. Come on!” Sunny ordered, as she led them to town.

They hurried into town to discover it was totally deserted with broken tables, overturned food stand, movie posters ripped down, and litter scattered about.

“What happened here?” Lita asked.

“I know Izzy's presence here started a panic, but it wasn't this bad.” Mushroom noted.

“Where is everypony?” Zanna looked around.

Suddenly the door to the sheriff's office opened and Hitch came galloping out, “Sunny! Lita! Girls!”

“Hitch, what's going on?” Zink inquired.

“Where did everypony go?” Lita asked.

“I have no idea. It was like this when I got here.” he answered.

“Hitch, girls, I figured out what went wrong with the crystals.” Sunny spoke up.

“What went wrong?” Zanna asked.

“There's actually a third-” Sunny was cut off as the crack of fireworks lit up the sky having been shot up from the Canterlogic factory.

“I'm guessing something big is going on there.” Mushroom assumed.

“Come on!” Lita ordered, as they hurried for the factory.

As they got closer they saw every pony in Maretime Bay marching in lock step like soldiers all while wearing the Anti-Mindreading Hats.

“What's with them?” Zink asked.

“Let's find out.” Hitch suggested, as he and Sunny went ahead while the ninjas stayed back so not to rile up the other ponies.

Hitch spoke to Toots in the formation, “Hey, wait, wait! What is going on here?”

“We can’t tell you. We’ve signed the Official Sprout Act.” Toots answered, as they kept marching.

“Official Sprout-what?” Hitch asked in disbelief.

The ninjas caught up, “Hitch, what was that about?” Lita asked.

“Did he say Official Sprout Act?” Zanna asked.

“Hitch, what happened when you left to find us?” Sunny asked.

Hitch realizing he goofed spoke up nervously, “Well, I needed somepony to watch over things and keep the town calm while I was away. So I asked... Sprout.”

“WHAT?!” the ninjas asked in outrage.

“You left him to be in charge?!” Zink growled.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Mushroom shouted.

“Girls, come on. We have to see what's happening!” Sunny instructed as they followed the marching earth ponies.

They stood outside the front entrance of the factory where set up was an implausibly tall lectern decorated with a large gold copy of Hitch’s badge; equipped with a ramp for a user to reach the microphone, and a padded stool is set at the base of this. Sweets stood near the ramp, while Phyllis was across from her. An eerie silence falls once the last hooves have stomped into place, broken only when Sweets speaks.

“The Stallion-in-Chief!” She blows a chewing-gum bubble as from the entrance two impassive ponies emerge pulling a wagon. Its front end is also decorated with the gold badge, but its rider is out of view for the moment. Phyllis aims an adoring gaze at this individual, who proves to be Sprout. The high, dark green collar he wore during his factory tour has been augmented with a variety of gold pins and medals, and a head-on shot and slow tilt down shows a matching peaked cap with an abundance of gold braid and trim. He was also wearing his old brown sash in addition to the collar.

Hitch's three animal deputies were even part of the throng, wearing miniature Anti-Mindreading Hats of their own. Sprout now fully seen was resting on a padded chair. Above a haughtily raised chin, his imperious eyes are hidden by a pair of mirrored sunglasses.

“Sprout?” Sunny and Hitch gasped.

“He's sure been busy.” Zanna said surprised.

The wagon having stopped, the little dictator hopped down onto one puller’s head and from there to the ground, landing out of view behind the lectern.

“Step!” Sprout called for irked.

“Oh! Right.” Sweets remembered.

She quickly pushed a stool mounted on a wheeled scissor-lift jack stand up the ramp and into Sprout’s hidden location. A few turns of a crank lift him fully into view so he can speak into the microphone.

“Citizens of Maretime-” Sprout was unceremoniously cut off by the bottom edge of an enormous banner as it falls on him while being unfurled. It depicts a profile of his proudly defiant face against a yellow sunburst backdrop, with no shades or cap. Zanna and Zink laughed at this while no pony was aware of them.

Sprout managed to wrestle his way out from the weighty textile with a grunt of effort, but comes up with his accessories askew and has to spend a moment straightening them.

“Can we try that again?” he inquired.

Sunny and Hitch rush to the center stage, “Sprout! What are you doing?” Hitch demanded.

All three of Hitch's faithful critters happily throw off their Anti-Mindreading Hats upon seeing the pony they loved.

Sprout however sneered down at Hitch before removing his sunglasses, and spoke mockingly, “Awww, little Sheriff Hitchie came trotting back. Waaah,” he spoke in normal tone, “Just in time to see me do what you couldn’t-attack our enemies!” One hoof brushes against the microphone, setting off a feedback squeal that startles him into dropping the tinted lenses. Sunny and Hitch wince at the noise, Hitch audibly so.

“If you think we're gonna let you start an unjust war then you're sadly mistaken!” Lita called, as she and her sisters approached.

“Oh, the freaks return!” Sprout mocked.

“They are not freaks!” Hitch shouted before the other ponies could panic, “They mean us no harm. And the pegasi and unicorns can be our friends too. There’s no need to be afraid of them. Besides, they don’t even have any magic.”

“What?” Phyllis asked sounding positively floored by this revelation.

Sprout however saw this as a bonus, “No Magic?” he laughed, “This is even better!” the mutant ponies frowned.

Sunny addressed the crowd, “But we can bring magic back! Bring friendship back!”

“So we don’t have to fight?” Sparkle Chaser asked before sighing in relief, “That's a relief.” he cast off the Pega-Periscope Goggles he still wore, and those around him do likewise with their Anti-Mindreading Hats, throwing a fair-sized wrench into the aspiring despot’s mental gears.

“W-Wait. Wait. W-Whoa, whoa! D-Don’t listen! They’ve been brainwashed! You’ll all be next if we don’t end this now!” Sprout ordered.

The ponies nervously put their gear back on much to the girls shock, “Are they that stupid to listen to this idiot?!” Zink asked outraged.

Sprout laughed maliciously as he brings a hoof down on a large red button set into the lectern. The concrete beneath Sunny, Hitch, and the girls begin to tremble, and they are forced to step back quickly as a hatch grinds open and something very, very large begins to rise from the depths. Its shadow falls over them and the nearest ranks of supporters.

“Say hello to Sprouticus Maximus!” Sprout announced.

Sprout's project with the factory was a red truck-mech pony version of himself with a cockpit in the head.

"Sweet mother of mutation." Mushroom gasped.

“Maybe this is a bit too much, dear!” Phyllis tried coaxing her son.

“Listen to your mother!” Zink ordered before pausing, “Wow. Now we do wanna listen to her.”

“What a day.” Zanna groaned.

“We can take it down.” Lita said ready to fight.

“How can you possibly take it down, when you have to go through the front line?” Sprout asked, as they saw running out from the entrance of the factory before getting into formation was his new and improved Hoof Bots.

“What the?” Zink gasped.

“Whoa! Now they do look more dangerous.” Mushroom gasped in shock.

Sprout leaped nimbly up the chassis and the flame panels stretching back from the mechanical shoulders and opening a hatch so he can access the cockpit.

“Troops! On to Bridlewood!” he shouted. Sprout hit a button to start the rig rumbling to life and pulled a hanging cord to blow the horn.

“We have to warn them!” Sunny told Hitch and the girls.

“Then let's move!” Lita ordered, as they ran from the factory, while the steel beast rolls out, lurid green headlights pointing the way. Sprout followed them down the street, laughing maniacally and plowing a trolley off its tracks. The fleeing heroes barreled toward the lighthouse.

“Sunny what you said earlier about being a third something. What is it?” Mushroom asked.

Before Sunny could answer, they heard Izzy's voice, “Sunny!”

The group stopped to see Izzy, Zipp, and Pipp galloping over, “Girls!” Zanna cheered relieved t see them.

“What're you all doing here?” Zink asked.

“We don’t care what anypony says!” Izzy began.

“Yeah, we just want to stay friends!” Zipp added

“Pipp, Zipp…” came the voice of their mom.

They saw Haven galloping over with Cloudpuff at her heels and her guards and the Bridlewood contingent at a distance. She has managed to clean herself up since leaving the clearing.

“I know you’re upset, darlings, my sweet little darlings. But it’s time to go home now.” Haven tried reasoning with her daughters, as Alphabittle arrived.

“Izzy Moonbow, you’re gonna get us all jinxed! Come back to Bridlewood.

Haven spoke back to him, “Excuse me, do you see my mouth still moving?” she began over-enunciating her words, “That means I’m still talking.”

“Will you zip it?” Zink asked, “Because you're all in danger here!”

“I'm sorry, what?” Haven asked confused, as was Alphabittle and the others.

“We got us a giant pony mech and a squad of dangerous robot ninjas on our tails literally!” Zanna panicked.

A blast from the horn of Sprouticus Maximus catches all the new arrivals off guard and elicits a gasp, and the assault vehicle comes tearing into view from around a bend. It hisses to a stop, sending up plumes of dust through which Sprout’s followers and robots march up in formation and halt, some now wearing miniature Splat-a-Pults in harnesses across their backs. Their discipline evaporates with a round of pop eyed stares and a nervous little stammer from Toots, as they have found both pegasi and unicorns facing them down. The big boss has now shed his cap.

“Would you look at this? Our enemies delivered themselves to us!” Sprout told his followers.

Haven called up to him, “No, no, no, we’re not here to fight. Mr. Big Robot Pony.”

“I do not accept your surrender!” Sprout replied ignoring her actual claim.

“No one said they were surrendering since they said they weren't fighting!” Mushroom called up, but Sprout ignored her.

Sprout spoke to his troops, “Load the Splat-a-Pults!

Down at ground level, the ones carrying the mobile artillery instead break ranks and peel off as fast as their hooves can carry them.

“So much for your troops, Sprouty!” Zanna mocked.

Sprout snarled at their fleeing, “Why do I have to do everything myself?” In response to his tweaking of the controls, the front bumper lifts off the turf on a set of jointed arms to serve as a battering ram.

“We have to stop that thing!” Zipp told the others.

“Yeah, but how?” Izzy asked.

Sunny answered, “With magic!” She spoke to Alphabittle and Haven and held out her hoof, “Quick, I need your crystals!” The two items in question are swiftly passed to her.

“Sunny what's this all about?” Lita asked wanting a clear answer.

“There’s a third crystal!” she answered.

“What?” Zink asked surprised.

“Huh. Now that I think about it, it does make sense.” Mushroom realized.

“Follow me!” Sunny ordered, as Izzy and the royal sisters do so.

“There's what?” Hitch asked bewildered, before he and the ninjas follow in suit.

“Oh, no you don't!” Sprout called, before calling down to his robot minions, “Hoof Bots, attack!”

The eyes of the robot ponies glowed red before drawing their weapons and were prepared to attack the group, Haven, Alphabittle, and the others.

“Mom!” Zipp and Pipp looked back.

Lita seeing this called to Zink and Mushroom, “You two follow me! Zanna, go with Sunny!”

“Right!” Zanna answered, as they split up.

Lita led Mushroom and Zink towards the army of Hoof Bots, “Take them down, ninjas!”

“Oh, yeah!” Zink called, as they engaged the robot ninjas.

Lita used her katana swords against some Hoof Bots who fought back using their own, while Zink and Mushroom were fighting back and disarming some more. Unlike last time however, the Hoof Bots weren't going down so easily.

“Alright, looks like we're finally getting a challenge!” Zink said reveling in the feeling.

While the three were protecting the other ponies, Sprout gave a hard yank at the steering controls, he slewed the machine around and trained his headlights on the others, racing up the hill toward the lighthouse with more of the Hoof Bots following his lead.

Hitch looked back seeing the mech heading for them, “I’ve gotta rein that thing in!” He turned back toward it, followed by Zipp.

“I’ve got your back, Hitch!”

As Sprouticus Maximus hurtled up the grassy slope, the two leap aboard and fetch up behind the raised front bumper. Zanna and the other three reached the lighthouse, but Zanna saw the Hoof Bots closing in, “You three go on. I'll hold them!” she glared the fast approaching Hoof Bots, “Alright, Mikey-sensei, You have your cry. Well, now I'm gonna unleash my own... Tabodi!” she announced and charged at the robot ninjas fighting them head on.

Sunny, Izzy, and Pipp after getting inside the lighthouse made their way up to the lantern room before gathering around the table in which the crystal from Sunny’s lantern is still embedded. Sunny pulled the Unicorn Crystal from her saddlebag, drawing a sly chuckle from Izzy, and sets it in its place on the recessed outline. The Pegasus Crystal is brought out next-but here comes Sprout, chuckling nastily and feeding gas as he covers the final yards to reach the lighthouse. The bumper plows into the ground floor, shaking the entire structure and jolting the three crystals all over the place. The mares are thrown to the floor with a cry. Zanna jumped away while some of the Hoof Bots were rammed into the Lighthouse flattening them, but more were still functioning and started heading into the lighthouse as Zanna chased after them.

“SPROUT, STOP!!” Hitch shouted, as the impact sends fissures racing up the tower and into its balcony; up top, Sunny has recovered only the Pegasus Crystal.

“Where are the other crystals?” she asked frantically.

All three look frantically around themselves as some Hoof Bots cut holes in the floor and climbed into the room.

“Uh-oh!” Izzy gasped.

Before they could attack, Zanna shot up from the hole swinging her weapon around bashing some of the robots, “What's going on up here?!” she asked.

“We gotta find the other crystals!” Sunny ordered, as they looked for the other two.

Down below, Hitch plastered himself across the windshield, his voice muffled by the glass since the camera is inside the cockpit.

“This ends now!” Hitch ordered Sprout.

“What, and let them have magic? Never!” He yanked a lever, backing up from the lighthouse, and Hitch began to climb up the rear end. In far too short a time, panels have opened on both sides so that a pair of giant Splat-a-Pults can deploy and begin hurling globs of green slime.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Hitch gasped, as he kept away from the flinging pults.

Meanwhile the other ponies were scrambling frantically trying to avoid the out of control flinging goo balls. Some Hoof Bots got their feet stuck to the ground making them easy targets for Lita and her sisters to destroy.

“Well, at least these goo balls are helping.” Mushroom noted, only for Zink to push her aside before some almost hit her.

“When you're not in their line of fire!” Zink told her.

As every pony kept trying to find cover, Alphabittle’s armadillos come within a whisker of being shot down; he raced in and planted himself directly above them as an equine shield. One missile splatters across his back while another connects with a rear hoof, gluing him to the ground despite his efforts to pull free. Many, many more slam into the windows ringing the lantern room. Pipp shrieks in surprise and fright, recoiling slightly and putting a hoof down on the crystal from Sunny’s lantern.

She smiled and grabbed it up, “Sunny!” she threw it across and Sunny caught it.

“Got it!” It is slammed into place to fill the gap at the center of the Pegasus Crystal, which has already been set, “We need the Unicorn Crystal!”

“I’m looking, I’m looking!” Izzy cried, trying so hard to find it.

Zanna kept on knocking the Hoof Bots out of the tower, “Make it fast!” Zanna called, before smashing one with her weapon, “I can’t hold them off forever.”

More and more Hoof Bots kept climbing up the tower to finish them off. Sprout sped forward again which made Hitch fall off.

“Whoa!” He cried.

Zipp grabbed his hoof before he almost got hurt, “Hitch!” She cried and pulled him back safely.

Eventually, Izzy found the unicorn crystal near a potted plant, “Found it!” She said.

“Incoming!” Zanna screamed, before Sprout rammed the lighthouse again.

The four flopped, groaning from the impact. Suddenly, the unicorn crystal fell off of Izzy’s hoof, “Ahh! No, no, no!” she gasped as it bounced towards the ledge.

When Pipp stood up, her weight caused the elevator to drop her as the young princess screamed all the way back down to the first floor. Lucky for her, the elevator stopped at which it barely touched the ground.

“Are you alright, Pipp?” Zanna cried.

“I’m okay!” Pipp shouted to their relief.

Izzy raced out to fetch the Unicorn Crystal. She was just about to come back inside when a Hoof Bot leap tackled Izzy from above as the unicorn screamed when part of the structure they were on fell off.

“Izzy!” Sunny and Zanna screamed.

They both raced out to find Izzy holding onto the ledge with the Hoof Bot trying to pull her down and nearly got hit by the splatter balls.

“Ah! Let go of me!” She grunted.

Sprout’s Hoof Bots that were on the roof slowly traversed around the tower, until Zanna tried to stop them.

“Go! Save her!” Zanna motioned Sunny who began to pull Izzy up.

Mushroom shoved a Hoof Bot away from her before seeing the one holding onto Izzy. She watched it slowly pull a dagger out of its back, realizing that it was going to stab Izzy in the back.

“Izzy!” She cried.

The brown ninja started blowing a few darts with her fukedake blowgun which came in contact with the robot. Izzy saw it short circuiting, which gave her chance to deliver a powerful buck that made it let go of her.

As Sprout put his ride in reverse, Hitch and Zipp noticed Izzy was going to fall at any minute.

“We need to shut these down!” Zipp suggested.

They both spotted a pin that was securing splat-a-pult from falling off Sprout’s machine. One look and they knew they had the same crazy idea.

Alphabittle tried get the splatter ball off his hind hoof, but it was no use. He was unaware that Sprout was going to run him over.

Pipp ran outside and noticed, “Alphabittle, look out!” Pipp shouted.

He turned to see it coming up behind him, only for him and the armadillos to be pushed out of the way by Haven.

“Nice save!” Zink cheered.

Pipp was relieved Alphabittle and her mom were safe, until she saw some more Hoof Bots race toward her.

“Uh-oh.” She gulped.

When they were about to attack, Lita and Mushroom came to finish them off.

“Run, Pipp! Run!” Lita shouted.

Pipp made a run for it and watched them destroy them as much as possible. But try as they might, more and more Hoof Bots kept on coming.

“There’s too many!” Mushroom spoke up, who couldn’t keep this up.

Then suddenly, Mushroom got whacked by Hoof Bot wielding a scythe that made Pipp gasp. When Pipp saw the ninja was in trouble, her face changed from being frightened to being angry. The brown ninja got up before she was shoved and banged to the wall that made her drop her weapon. The robot ninja raised its scythe up to finish her, only for Mushroom to grab its weapon before it could end her life.

“Is that the best you can do?” She grunted.

Mushroom tried to grab her weapon that was near her, but the Hoof Bot kicked it away and was about to strike. The anthro robot was interrupted, as Pipp jumped in, “Here I come!” she strangled its head and pulled it back, allowing Mushroom to get clear. The Hoof Bot struggled to get her off, only for it to receive a few punches on the head by Pipp, “Leave my friend alone!” she yelled at it. Eventually, the Hoof Bot tossed her off and decided to kill the pegasus instead. Before the robot could slice her, it felt something nail it in the head. It burst some sparks before it fell down to the ground. Pipp looked over seeing Mushroom with her blowgun, panting but gave a thumbs up to her.

“Mushroom!” She embraced her, “I’m so glad you’re alright.”

“Yeah. Thanks to you.” Mushroom smiled.

Phyllis scrambled around looking around in horror of what her own son brought upon their town all because of the paranoia she kept on inciting in every pony in town. Especially her boy.

Hitch and Zipp managed to pull the pin out for the splat-a-pult only for it to fly out and nail into the lighthouse almost hitting Izzy in the process.

“Ok, that was a bad idea!” Hitch told Zipp.

“Ya think?!” Zink called from down below

“I almost got it,” Izzy reached for the unicorn crystal. But then it slipped off the ledge when Izzy almost caught it, “No!” Izzy cried as her weight caused Sunny to slip off the edge and fall off the tower.

“ZANNA!!!” they screamed.

Thinking fast, Zanna lassoed Sunny’s hind hooves with her weapon just in time, as did Izzy who caught the unicorn crystal.

“I gotcha! I gotcha!” Zanna grunted.

Sunny called, “Bring us up!”

Zanna pulled them up slowly. Just then, one Hoof Bot approached, raising its blade up high preparing to end her.

“Zanna, look out!” Izzy warned out loud.

Before the droid could end her, Zink leaped up and threw her spear straight through the droid’s head as it fell off the ledge. The two mares shrieked when it fell past them.

Zink retrieved her weapon, “Hurry! Get them in place!”

Wasting no time, Zanna pulled them up with all her strength. When Sunny felt her body touch to the top of the tower, she and Zanna pulled Izzy back up to the ledge. They all panted. Izzy raised her hoof holding the crystal. Both Zanna and Sunny were relieved.

Back on the ground Phyllis continued to watch all this chaos happen before her, “I-I never wanted it to come to this.”

“Then what did you want?” asked Zink as she destroyed more Hoof Bots close to her.

“I-I just wanted to protect ponies, not incite war.” she explained as guilt crept onto her.

“Yeah, well, your son doesn't feel the same way!” Zink pointed out, “He's turned into a dictator because of your constant spreading of fear through everypony's mind! You caused this whole mess to happen, so what are you going to do about it, huh?”

Phyllis looked up at her son piloting his mech before looking firmly and galloped to catch up to it before calling up to him.

“Sprout! Let's put the toy away!”

“Mommy, please! I’m in the middle of something!” he whined.

“You come down from there right now!” she ordered once again.

“But Mommy, I’m... in… CHAAARGE!!!!” Sprout yelled when he went full throttle.

Phyllis stood in front of him, “I… said… STOP!” she shouted.

Sprout shrieked when he was about to run over his mom. He quickly jerked out of the way to the right causing both Hitch and Zipp to be tossed off. Everyone watched as Sprout rammed the lighthouse hard. Sunny, Izzy, and Zanna shrieked from the impact.

Hitch cried, “No, no, no!”

Mushroom gasped, “The lighthouse is coming apart!”

Zink worried, “They gotta get out of there!”

The tower started to crumble even more. It started to tip as the ninja and the two ponies were losing their balance. Sunny wouldn’t give up. She carefully climbed to the center and slammed the unicorn crystal into place. But just like before, nothing happened.

Izzy mumbled, “It... It didn’t work.”

Zanna spoke confused, “I-I don’t get it.”

The tower started to come off making the three crystals to fly off the alter and roll outside.

“No, no, no!” Sunny cried.

Izzy screamed until Zanna grabbed her, “Hold onto me!” She cried.

“But the crystals.” Sunny exclaimed.

Seeing as there was no time, Zanna immediately grabbed Sunny, “Forget the crystals. Let’s go!” she shouted as they jumped before the tower slowly started to tip more.

They landed to the ground with a thump causing them to break off. Sunny, who was out cold, groaned. But what she didn’t see was she was at the position where the tower was going to fall on her. Lita gasped when she saw her friend was going to die. Having no choice, she ran towards her.

“SUNNY, NOOOOOO!!!!” she screamed, before she jumped and pushed her out of the way with all her strength just in time as the tower crashed onto the white albino ninja.

Zink/Mushroom/Hitch/Pipp/Zipp screamed, “LITA!!!!” Lots of debris fell creating a huge smoke bank at the entire area.

Deep in the other side of the universe, Lita lay flat on her back on the ground. She was no longer a mutant pony, but once again a mutant turtle. The sky was bright blue, the sun showed its brightness, and the breeze was fresh. Lita quickly gasped and sat up. She awoke in limbo, realizing she was not at Maretime Bay anymore.

“Where am I?” she spoke to herself, “What is this place?”

She looked around to find nothing but the silence and solitude. She remembered saving Sunny, but she didn’t really know how she got here.

“Hello?” she called out, “Is anyone there? Sunny? Sunny, where are you?”

Lita looked up ahead to see a big, long hill near a road that got her attention. So, the turtle mutant decided to walk up to see where she was. When Lita reached to the top, she gasped in shock to see a familiar castle near the side of a tall mountain and a beautiful waterfall.

“It... It can’t be. It’s…. Canterlot,” She muttered slowly, who almost shed a tear. Lita carefully walked her way down the hill to the stone road, “How is this possible? I thought this place would be in ruins. It’s so beautiful.”

She kept staring at this place, wondering how she ended up to this strange world.

“Hello, Lita.” said a voice as she turned around. What she saw made her eyes wide. There who was slowly approaching her was Princess Twilight Sparkle. The former ruler of Equestria.

She smiled, “Do you like my castle?”

“You’re Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Lita gasped before kneeling down with respect.

“No, no, please. No kneeling,” Twilight chuckled before gently grabbing her hand, “You have done so much for Equestria. If anypony should kneel, it should be I.”

The princess placed her wing on Lita’s shoulder.

“Come with me. Let us walk.” Twilight said politely.

Lita slowly nodded as they both proceeded to walk through the entrance of Canterlot.

“Is this really Canterlot?” Lita questioned.

Twilight walked near her, “Yes, only it’s a memory of what it usually looked like many moons ago.”

“A memory?” Lita asked in confusion, “What is this place? Where are we?”

Twilight explained, “We’re on a higher plane of existence. I have attained this world when my time came to an end. When passing into death, we merge with all of life.”

“I’m so sorry,” Lita sighed feeling sad, “I always wanted to meet you in person, but not like this.”

“Don’t be, Lita,” Twilight assured politely, “When I passed away, I have been watching you all this time. You have done so well protecting New York with your sisters.”

Lita was surprised, “You have?” Lita asked her who nodded back, “But why am I here? Am I dead too?”

“No, you’re still alive. This is your subconscious. I had to bring you here so we could see you.”

Lita stared at her, “We?”

Twilight nodded and motioned her to look ahead of the city of Canterlot where she was leading her to a group of ponies that looked familiar. Right in front of the castle were her friends; Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.

“I can’t believe it,” Lita stared at them in awe, “They’re you're... you're....”

“Yes, Lita,” Twilight confirmed, “These are my friends.”

When they saw them, her friends slowly walked towards Lita. Lita was surprised on what she is witnessing today.

“Hi, Lita!” They said in unison.

“Hi, everyone. It’s an honor to meet you all.” Lita said, still feeling shocked.

“Do you know our names darling?” Rarity asked curiously.

“Yes, I really do,” Lita said, before naming them she looked at, “Rarity,” who nodded, ”Pinkie Pie,” who gave a big smile, “Applejack,” who tipped her hat, “Rainbow Dash,” who winked, “and Fluttershy.” who gave heartfelt smile.

“You got it, sugarcube.” Applejack chuckled.

Lita stared at Pinkie who hopped with joy, “Oh my gosh, we are so, so excited to finally meet you after all this time! I can’t believe it!” Pinkie beamed excitedly.

“I’m so surprised you're all actually here.” Lita said.

Rainbow smirked, “Everypony's gotta be somewhere, kiddo.”

“Yeah, I know,” Lita remembered, “My sensie's keep telling us that when we meditate.”

“And yet you four have grown up and have come a long way since you’ve been training with your masters.” Rarity mentioned.

Lita’s eyes went wide, realizing that not only Twilight have been watching her and her sisters, but the rest of the mane 6 have as well.

“Y-Y-You’ve all been watching. All this time you were all watching us before we came to Equestria?” Lita inquired.

“Of course, we have silly,” Pinkie giggled, “We’ve been looking out for you just like our friends have.”

Rainbow added, “We never even doubted you girls for a second.”

Fluttershy put in, “And you still believed all the stories they told you about all our adventures, our happy times together, everything. We couldn’t be any prouder to see you all have come this far.”

Lita couldn’t help but smile. She was so happy to be here, yet she didn’t know why.

“So, why are you all here?” She wondered.

“We all came to help you finish your mission,” Twilight walked toward her friends. “What you did today was very brave, wise, and noble. We’re just glad that you're still alive and have a chance to finish bringing back magic that is stored in the crystals.”

“But they didn’t work,” Lita remembered, “We couldn’t bring back magic and spread harmony to Equestria the way it was supposed to be. We failed you guys.”

“That’s the point, Lita,” Applejack said smugly, “Yer forgetting the most important part to activate the crystals.”

“I am?” Lita asked.

Twilight nodded, “Yes. Do you remember the story your sensei's told you?”

“Yes.” Lita recalled.

“What was it about?” Rainbow inquired.

“It was about Twilight given a task to go to a nearby town of ponies her mentor Princess Celestia told her.”

“To do what?” Fluttershy said.

“You’re getting closer.” Rarity sang.

“To learn about friendship. She made lots of friends among other creatures—”

Pinkie cuts in , “Hold it! You just said the answer! Say it again.”

“What? I said she came to learn about friendship.” Lita said confused.

Lita looked at them showing their smiles to her. Not having a clue for a second, until her eyes went wide to realize what this was all about.

“Wait a minute... Friendship,” Lita exclaimed, “Friendship! That’s the answer! The key to bringing back magic is friendship!”

Pinkie pulled her cannon out of nowhere and launched confetti over Lita, “Hooray! You figured it out!” Pinkie cheered which her friends laughed.

“I can’t believe it,” Lita replied in shock, “I thought it was the other way around.”

Twilight chuckled, “Lita, friendship is what makes Equestria so magical. Even though I’m the ruler of Equestria, I’m still the Princess of Friendship.”

Lita smiled, “I get it now. No wonder why my senseis look up to you when you first met them. Epsecially Sensei Leo.”

Twilight giggled hearing that, “That’s true,” She blushed a little before explaining, “Anyway, we also wanted to thank you for saving Sunny. We were so worried that the future of Equestria would continue living in darkness. But we’re all curious to know why you did it.”

Lita took deep breath, “She was my friend. I wasn’t gonna let her die... and she never gave up on us and all pony kind. We were told by our sensei's to find Sunny and discover what really happened when we arrived.”

“And make new friends.” Said a voice.

Lita turned to see Leo, Raph, and Donnie approach the group still as turtle mutants..

“That is the most important thing we wanted you and your sisters to have on your adventure.” Leo answered.

“You knew,” Lita stared at her masters in disbelief, “You knew all along the magic was lost forever. Why didn’t you tell us?”

Donnie calmly stated, “We wanted you four to continue your training before you were ready. The world has grown dark over the years since all pony kinds and creatures have been divided.”

Raph added, “By the time you were teenagers, we knew it would be the perfect opportunity for you to put an end to this crisis. The balance needed to be restored the way Equestria was meant to be, and we saw the pony who could unite them all.”

“That’s why we wanted you to find Sunny, Lita,” Leo told her standing near Twilight, “She believed all the stories her father told her when she was a filly and hoped to one day to meet new friends.”

“I see.” Lita mumbled.

“Do you know why you're leader of this team?” Leo inquired.

Lita recalled, “You said I showed the most leadership skills back then when I was growing up.”

“That is true. But it’s not the only reason you are leader, Lita.” Leo said.

Lita looked at him, “Huh?”

“A leader must look out for those in need, to protect those they care about most,” Leo explained, “I saw myself in you from how you look after your sisters the same way I did for my bros.”

Lita looked at Twilight who placed her hoof to his hand.

“Leaders like me and Leo look out for their friends and loved ones too, because they trust each other,” She spoke to her, “We’re a team, a family. It’s how it makes us stronger when we’re together. You are persistent, tough, kind, caring, and loyal to your team, including your new friends. These are the qualities of a great leader that you’ve inherited from us.”

“You’re just like Sunny,” Leo mentioned, “Both of you care about this world and all the ponies around you.”

Lita sighed, “Yes, but not all ponies here share the same values or even care about friendship or harmony more than we do.”

“Lita, sometimes folks fear what they don’t understand.” Applejack responded.

“We all have our ups and downs as time goes on,” Pinkie replied humbly, “But this is how life in Equestria and all other worlds really are. It doesn’t matter if ponies are good or bad. What matters is to make them their friend. As long as they're willing to open themselves up to it.”

Rarity replied, “That’s how the magic works around Equestria, by making friends and trusting each other.”

“Your team never gave up when you almost had the chance to bring back magic.” Fluttershy exclaimed.

Rainbow put in, “But now you have the perfect chance to change the way things are and get the tribes united together again.”

Twilight smiled, “We can’t thank you enough for all what you have done. Equestria can once again have a new beginning.”

Lita mumbled, “I’m honored. But...”

“Yes?” Twilight wondered with her friends by her side.

“I’m not quite sure I understand.” Lita replied with honesty.

Twilight went into teaching mode, “Lita, remember this: Life in this universe is balance. Endings are never really endings. Only brings out new beginnings. And you have given us all a new beginning, a new generation. The future is often what we make of it, and you refused to let our future end in darkness. You have shown such great strength, courage, and resilience in your struggle to prove all pony kinds were friends. This will be your greatest lesson you’ve learned from us for you did today. And because of that, you have become a greater ninja than you would have otherwise.”

From hearing Twilight’s words, the wind blew the flowers that circled around Lita. She stared at the group who knelt in front of her with respect.

“Well done, Hamato Lita. Well done.” Twilight said softly before she knelt.

“You have made us all proud.” Leo thanked her.

Lita still unsure of this muttered, “Thank you. But... I really don’t understand any of this.”

Twilight smiled, “You will soon, if you choose to go back to Maretime Bay.”

“Still, why is Sunny the key to everything?” Lita inquired.

Donnie smirked, “I think you're gonna have to go back and see for yourself.”

Lita stared at a statue of the her sensei's, their pony friends, and a little dragon together. The white albino ninja placed her hand on stone feeling a little upset.

“So, are you ready to go back to finish your mission?” Leo asked hopefully.

Lita looks at the statue for one moment, and then she slowly turned around to stare at them giving a sad expression.

“No.” she shook her head sadly.

“What?” The said in disbelief.

“I... I can’t go back,” She said, concerned, “I’m not ready.”

“What do you mean you’re not ready?” Rainbow spoke in disbelief, “Of course you are. This is your big moment.”

Lita looked down in sorrow, “For them... Not for me.” Lita sniffled.

The turtles and the mane 6 were beginning to see something was wrong with Lita. Quietly, they all gathered around Lita.

“What’s wrong, Lita?” Twilight worried.

Lita confessed sadly to her masters, “T-To tell the truth, I can’t go on without you guys. I don’t wanna leave.”

Leo knelt in front of her, “You must, Lita. Your team needs you. If you don’t return to Maretime Bay, the future of Equestria will never change.”

“I know, master. It’s just...” Lita said as eyes started to water up. When she couldn’t handle the stress, she put her arms around her master, “I wish I can always be with you!”

Leo was taken back a little as he continued to listen to her conversation.

“The universe just doesn’t feel the same when you’re not all with us. You were always there when no one else was ever since we’ve been protecting New York City on our own,” Lita sobbed and looked at Twilight, “And now since we’ve come to Equestria for the first time, I really wish you guys weren’t like this at all. Why can’t things be the way they are?”

Leo couldn’t help but shed a tear too as he gently embraced her. Even Leo’s departed brothers joined in too. Hearing what the young ninja said made them feel sorry for her. They were also shocked that Lita still doesn’t want to forget them knowing how much she cares so much for them. Including their friends. The three turtles broke off as Leo gently wiped the tears off the young ninjas face.

“I know how you feel, Lita. We all do. When I was your age, I wasn’t ready to be a sensei when our father was gone.”

Raph and Donnie knelt down towards Lita. Raph spoke up, “Our sensei knew his fate would come to an end when he sensed his brother would return to finish him, and he wanted us to end the Shredder so that he and his foot clan wouldn’t cause more destruction to the city.”

Twilight stepped in, “I was there when I received their message,” She rubbed Lita’s head, “It felt terrible when we came to mourn our departed master. After we ended the Shredder, we’ve moved on and Splinter’s spirit has been roaming free.”

“Was he always looking out for you guys?” Lita inquired.

“Of course, he was!” Donnie beamed, “Splinter would appear out of nowhere to help those in need who are consumed with despair. The same way we’re here today.”

“Does it hurt?” Lita asked, placing her hand on her chest.

Leo sighed, “It does. It is another reason how life goes on in the universe.”

Lita looked down in despair until Leo gently lifted her chin up.

“I know you are in pain. But you have to get used to it. All ninjas must face reality as time moves on. Especially if they must let go of the things they really care about most.”

“But knowing that, it makes me feel so alone.” Lita admitted feeling empty inside.

Twilight knelt beside Leo, “It’s okay to feel alone, Lita. This happens to everyone around the world. Sunny felt heartbroken too when her dad passed away. But she wouldn’t give up on bringing friendship to the tribes. Because she had help. From you, your sisters, and your friends.”

Lita kept listening to their conservation.

“Understand this, you’re not alone, Lita. Never will be. You have them, and you have us in spirit,” Twilight then points Lita’s heart, “We’re all with you in here. It’s all a matter of opening your heart, Lita. You just need to let go of the past and focus on the future that is yet to come. If you keep your spirit up, you will never be truly alone.”

Leo smiled, “And no matter what happens, Lita, we will always love you.”

Lita was shocked to hear them say that. She looked at everyone who all smiled and nodded to her that they will always be with her, just like Master Splinter was there for them.

“Remember what Sunny said, Lita,” Twilight reminded, “We’ll do our part...”

“...Hoof to heart.” They all finished in unison.

This made Lita tear up more, but she gave a big smile, “Hoof to heart.” She said silently.

Lita then embraced both Leo and Twilight.

“I love you guys!” she giggled happily.

Both Leo and Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle as they both embraced the young ninja. The rest gathered around joined in the group hug giving Lita more comfort, love, and appreciation. When they broke off, Lita felt much better.

“Thank you, everyone, for bringing me here, and for helping me complete my mission,” She said feeling happy, ”I’m so glad I have great masters and wonderful friends that are looking out for me, and my sisters.”

“You’re welcome. We are all lucky to have wonderful ninjas like you to come here and to make a difference,” Twilight responded, “When you go back, you must help the ponies see friendship is better than fear.”

“I promise, Twilight,” she promised before looking at her castle, “But, when I go back, will I remember this?”

Leo exclaimed, “You will think it was a dream, Lita. But in time, you won’t forget all about what you’ve learned today.”

Lita was glad to hear that comment and now knows what life is like in the universe. Lita watched Twilight’s friends’ slowly approaching her as they each embraced her one at a time.

“Don’t forget about us darling, okay?” Rarity smiled, shedding a tear drop.

Lita nodded to her comment before they broke off their embrace. She looked at Applejack who took off her hat and gave a small smile.

“We won’t forget about you, sugarcube.” She said with honesty before wrapping her hoofs around her.

Rainbow came near Lita, ruffling her head that made her laugh, “You’re gonna do great, Lita. We’re all counting on you. Just keep on going and don’t give up till it’s all over.”

“You got it, Captain Rainbow.” Lita saluted the Wonderbolt leader.

Rainbow was shocked and couldn’t help but laugh. She almost shed to tears before she embraced her close, “You are one awesome ninja, you know that?” Rainbow sniffled, “Don’t ever change.”

“You bet.” Lita agreed.

Lita turned to Pinkie who tried so hard not to bawl into tears. Pinkie sobbed before hugging Lita, “I’m gonna miss you, Lita.”

“Me too,” Lita said seeing that Pinkie is so sad. So, Lita broke off her embrace to cheer her up, “Hey, turn that sad frown upside down. Isn’t that what you say?” Lita smiled.

This made Pinkie laugh, including Lita, “You’re right.” She giggled. She wiped her tears and gave Lita one more embrace, “Tell Mikey I said hi.” Pinkie said softly.

“Of course, Pinkie.” Lita confirmed.

Fluttershy approached to Lita who felt the same. A little upset, but she showed a kind smile to the ninja.

“I wish you the best of luck, Lita. Your team is going to love Equestria once your mission is complete.“ Fluttershy commented.

“We sure will,” Lita sighed, “I hope you’ll all stay close to us whatever we encounter something that is impossible.”

Fluttershy placed her hoof on Lita’s cheek, “Of course, we will, Lita. As long as you guys keep your hopes up, we will always be there for you. In your hearts and your memories.”

Lita shed a single tear drop before they both embraced each other. Fluttershy said softly, “We believe in you.”

“Thanks, Fluttershy.” Lita thanked.

Lita looked at her sensei’s as they all bowed to each other.

“Thank you, for sending us to Equestria,” She thanked them, “It still would’ve been nice if you sent us to this place when we were little.”

Leo smiled, “I know. But like I said, Lita, times have changed for us.”

Raph patted her back, “Stay strong, kid. You have to take care of your sisters and your friends. Especially our brother Michelangelo who always has your back.”

“I promise Sensei Raphael.” Lita vowed.

“Look out for your friends. Train them to be ninjas of our clan, Lita,” Donnie spoke up, “There will be new enemies you will encounter when you journey together at Equestria, New York, and anywhere else. The forces in the universe are immense and formidable. But we are certain you will accomplish great things, as what you will today when you’ve completed your mission.”

Lita said, “But we needed your help, guys. We’ll always need your help.”

“You’ve become a great leader, Lita,” Leo smirked, “Do not doubt yourself.”

Lita nodded his comment before he placed his hand on her shoulder.

“And if you ever feel left out again, you know how to reach us.” He mentioned.

“Thanks. Although, I hope my new friends will follow my leadership.”

Leo smiled, “They will. Trust them, like you trust your sisters. Understood?”

Lita nodded, “Hai, Sensei.”

Donnie sighed, “We’re gonna miss you, Lita.”

“I know I will too.” Lita smiled as her masters embraced into a family hug.

Twilight walked to Lita who sighed, “I guess this is goodbye.” The ninja replied.

“Yes. Just remember, we’re still with you in here.” Twilight pointed Lita’s heart.

“I know.” Lita said trying not to cry.

“I want you to be prepare for the worse though. When magic returns, you must make sure Equestria’s future does not end in darkness again.”

Lita wondered, “From what? Who’s behind all this?”

“That is a secret. But you’ll find out when you visit Equestria occasionally. You must make sure your friends will help you anyway they can.”

Lita was really shocked to hear that. Unsure what Twilight meant but knew that this was serious. Especially if there gonna need some help from the farther regions of Equestria, to the streets of New York City, or any place else from other dimensions. With a smirk on her face, she felt ready for anything that will stand in her way.

“I understand.” Lita confirmed.

“Very good,” Twilight smiled, “Promise me you’ll look after Sunny when you go back, okay? She really needs you, more than ever.”

“I will, Twilight,” Lita nodded. She then did a familiar promise she remembered when she was little turtle, “In fact, I cross my heart, and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye!”

The entire group couldn’t help but laugh seeing that Lita’s got nothing to worry about, “Oh, she’s growing up so fast.” Pinkie shed a heartfelt tear drop.

Lita and Twilight embraced each other one last time, “Thank you for everything, Twilight. I’m glad I got the chance to meet you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad I met you too, and I know, deep within our hearts, you’re going to do so well with your team.” Twilight said.

Lita took a deep breath, “I’m ready.”

The two both smiled and bowed each other farewell.

“I won’t let you down, Twilight. I’ll make you proud.” Lita answered.

“I know you will. Goodbye, Lita.” Twilight said softly.

Lita began to slowly walk away from the group. Twilight’s friends gathered around with Leo holding her arm watched Lita walk away. Lita then stopped and turned around to look at them one last time to say her final words.

“Goodbye everyone! I won’t forget you!” She waved happily to them.

They all smiled and waved back at her, “We love you, Lita!” they said in unison before the scenery started to vanish and Lita left the spiritual plane.

Author's Note

Plenty of dialogue courtesy of Cyan Tank, and Zanna's battle Cry Tabodi was suggested by Darth Wrex.