Pony Fantasy VI: The War of Chaos

by BeanyOne

Rating: teen
Tags: Main 6, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, Discord, Princess Celestia, Crossover
Length: 30539

Novelization of the Pony Fantasy VI romhack.

1000 years ago, a war scarred the world and nearly wiped out all traces of magic. The unicorns that had previously been stewards of the world faded into obscurity, and the earth ponies rebuilt the land with the help of technology and determination. There is a storm brewing, however, and it threatens to use magic to destroy the very order that has been observed and appreciated for centuries.

Based on the Pony Fantasy VI hack of Final Fantasy VI.

Published 2013-07-17 18:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-12-09 19:10:18 UTC

Prologue: The Strange Mare

1000 years ago, the War of Chaos left the world shattered, and magic was almost wiped out entirely.

Few in number and almost powerless, the unicorns faded into obscurity...

...as the earth ponies rebuilt the world with iron, gunpowder, and determination.

But unicorn magic doesn't happen without a reason, and for some ponies, greed is reason enough...

Is history doomed to repeat itself, or can the magic of "friendship" make a difference?

"Ugh, I'm sick of seeing snow. Snow, snow, snow."

"Come on, Snips. We only have a little ways to go."

The metal behemoths the pony soldiers piloted came to a rest at the tip of an outcropping. Snips scanned the horizon as his partner looked on. "Yeah, well, this mission can't end soon enough. I hate the cold, and the sooner we're done here, the better. How's the mare, Snails?"

Snails glanced behind them at the third member of their party following a short distance away. She was a pretty shade of lavender, and he had to admit she didn't look too bad. However, they were here on official Imperial business, and she was the key to their mission. She wore a tiara adorned with a gem shaped like a purple sparkle, and for some reason she did not talk. She could only stare vacantly forward. Snails was slightly creeped out by this, but he didn't dare question the orders they had received. Whatever the case, she had done whatever they commanded her to do unquestioningly since the mission began.

"She's right here, Snips. Same as always," Snails replied. He pursed his lips pensively. "Say...do you think our intel was right? I'm not sure I believe that an Esper has been frozen there for 1000 years. What if this turns out to be a bust?"

Snips narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure, myself. What are we supposed to do if...when we find it? Would it wake up if we thaw it out?"

"Probably. Those things are supposed to be immortal," Snails responded with a shudder. "At any rate, we shouldn't expect any resistance we can't handle. That mare obliterated 50 of our soldiers in 3 minutes. Anything Neighshe or this Esper throws at us, we can handle."

The two soldiers stepped back from the edge and began to march towards the town proper. As they fell into formation, the mare wordlessly followed behind. Snails glanced back one more time before they marched to Neighshe as a group.

"...I really don't like this."

Upon arrival to the town, they had been traveling in silence for almost thirty minutes. The silence left both of the Imperial soldiers ill at ease, but surely things would heat up as they blew through the gates. Snips and Snails moved behind the mare as she pushed her machine past the gate. As disciplined and confident as they were, being Imperial soldiers, the fact remained that they were traveling with a mare who had destroyed an entire platoon with a mere thought. Neither one of them fancied the idea of becoming another notch on her Magitek armor.

Aside from the wind and the steam machinery that seemed to be ubiquitous in the small town, Neighshe was eerily quiet. Reports had filtered into the Empire of the town's strong Imperial resistance, and seeing the town so quiet did little to mollify the sinking feeling Snails had in his stomach. He craved action, any action. A target would give him something to focus on besides the deafening silence.

As they marched into the town square, a shout rang out. "Imperial scum! This will stop you!"

"It's an ambush! Defensive formation!" Snips barked as they were surrounded by town guards and their dogs. Snips and Snails readied their Magitek armors to engage, but the mare stepped to the fore, emitting a noxious spray from her armor. The guards doubled over, clutching their throats with their forelegs. The guards and dogs that were not hit reconsidered their plan of attack and quickly retreated.

Throughout all of this, the mare did not change her vacant expression. It was as if she were merely a machine herself, doing precisely what her masters commanded. Snails glanced at Snips uneasily. "I'm really glad she's on our side," Snips offered unhelpfully.

The three marched through the rest of the town without incident. It appeared that the town guard had completely abandoned its resistance after the abortive first attempt. As they entered the mine shaft at the rear of the town, a chill ran down Snails' spine as he contemplated the events. Something wasn't right. Neighshe wouldn't just let Imperial soldiers march through their town, Magitek or not. He tried to remember back to their briefing to see if there was anything he was missing. He could swear there was something else they had forgotten...

At the end of the shaft, there was a wooden grate blocking further passage. "Stand back, I can take care of this," Snips said with a cocksure grin. As Snails and the mare stood off to the side, Snips backed up against the wall and charged forward. The impact shattered the flimsy grate, and the way was cleared. Grinning, Snips beckoned for them to follow. At least he's enjoying himself, Snails griped to himself.

Before they could walk through the opening, however, a guard appeared in front of them. "We'll never give you the Esper, Imperial dogs! Whelk, crush these scum!"

A giant snail-like creature barreled through the opening, blocking passage. "Looks like we're in for a fight!" Snips yelled gleefully.

Snails nodded as they readied their armors. He decided to take initiative and aimed a Bolt Beam at the snail-thing's head. Not only did the creature not even wince, the electricity merely arced to its shell, coursing around the edges brightly.

Snips observed this, then his expression lit up. "Wait! Remember our briefing?!"

I was trying to, jerk, Snails thought to himself. Memory wasn't his strong suit, however, so he decided to humor his partner. "What about it?"

Snips eyed the snail creature in front of them. "Do you remember something about a creature that eats lightning-"

A light bulb went off in Snails' head. Of course! "-stores the energy in its shell, and craps thunder?"

Snips snickered a bit. "Right! So whatever you do, don't use electrical attacks or hit its shell!"

The mare in their entourage, as blank-faced as ever, did not even register a response. Instead, she pressed a button on her armor and fired a missile at the creature's head. The explosion clearly wounded it, as it shrieked and withdrew into its shell. Snips stared slack-jawed at the mare. "Th-that was a Tek Missile! None of our best soldiers could get the missile to hit the target properly, much less not get hit in the crossfire! How the hell can she use it?!"

Snails shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't think now's the time to question it. That snail seems to be up to something!"

The electricity that had been arcing across the shell from Snails' Bolt Beam coalesced into the shell's tip. The soldiers braced themselves for whatever attack was coming. Sure enough, a strong electrical pulse surged through them, searing their coat. Luckily for them, their armors were grounded and suffered only minor damage, but Snips looked like he was going to black out.

It was then, for the first time, that the mare closed her eyes. Her horn glowed, and she appeared to be concentrating on something. Suddenly, Snips and Snails felt their pain eased and their wounds healing. Neither soldier said a word, but the implication remained: this mare was doing naturally what they could only accomplish with Magitek armor.

Their shock was short-lived, however, as the Whelk extruded its head once more. Snips signaled Snails, and they stood on opposite sides of the monster's head. As they combined the power of their Fire Beam and Ice Beam, the creature roared in pain one last time, then collapsed and stopped moving.

Not wasting any time, the three marched into the heart of the mines. Embedded in the ground, a giant, birdlike creature frozen in a block of ice met their gaze. Snails shivered. "This must be the Esper. I guess now we leave it to this girl."

As the mare approached the creature, it began to glow and pulse. She stood directly in front of the creature, and Snips and Snails could feel some great power beginning to fill the room. The creature emitted a powerful light, blinding and ethereal in nature. Snails felt panic seize his body. "Wh-where's that light coming from?!" Suddenly, he let out a bloodcurdling scream...and vanished.

Snips yelped. "H-hey! Snails! Where'd you go?! What's happening?!" Gone was the cocky demeanor he had entered the mines with, replaced only with abject fear. He wasn't prepared for this.

As Snips walked over to where Snails had stood, he disappeared as well, leaving only the mare to contend with the Esper. As she stared wordlessly at it, her body began to glow the same hue as that which surrounded the Esper. Suddenly, an eldritch force erupted from the creature, obliterating the girl's Magitek armor and causing her to be thrown against the mine wall. Her vision fading, the mare collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. The Esper, perhaps satisfied with its work, returned the cave to the darkness that preceded it.

The last thing the mare heard before she passed out was a voice demanding the bodies of the Imperial soldiers.

Author's Note

Hey, all. This is really my first fanfic I've ever devoted any serious time to writing, and of course it's only the one chapter so far. I decided I needed a way to practice writing narrative fiction, so I kind of latched onto this romhack, which I absolutely loved, and turn it into a fic.

I'm told there is an existing fic for this that was never finished, but for the life of me I haven't been able to find it. Regardless, anything in here is a combination of the hack creator's vision and my own interpretation of the events. I hope it's at least somewhat entertaining to some of you.

If you wanted to follow along with the actual game, I have a full playthrough on my Youtube account.

Chapter 1: Awakening

"...up...ake up...Hey! Wake up!"

The unicorn's eyes flew open. Her head felt like it was on fire, her whole body ached, and she couldn't remember anything about who she was or how she had gotten into this unfamiliar pony's home. She groggily rolled over in bed and looked upon her savior, a concerned-looking stallion clutching a strange tiara. For some reason, the mare seemed to recall this tiara, but her mind was a foggy mess.

Determined to get some answers as to who she was and what kind of predicament she was in, the mare tentatively climbed out of bed. She took no more than two steps before her legs buckled beneath her and she collapsed to the ground with a pained grunt.

"H-hey! Take it easy! You're still recovering from the effects of the Demon Tiara!" the stallion exclaimed as he rushed to help her up.

Rising shakily and sitting on her rear, the mare clutched her forehead in a daze. "Head...hurts. Everything's so...foggy...Who are you?"

The stallion seemed to consider his words before he responded. "I'm...a friend. You won't find too many friends here right now, though. The whole town's in an uproar because the two soldiers you were with seemed to herald the vanguard of an Imperial invasion force. The guard is out for blood, and I'm afraid your blood is the only thing that will quench their thirst."

The mare gazed forlornly at her savior. "A...friend?" she repeated. "I don't remember anything..."

"Likely because of this baby right here. I've heard stories of the Demon Tiara from our insiders in the Empire. They were using this to control you and force you to do their bidding." He placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "You're okay now, though. Your memory should return with time. Do you at least remember your name?"

The mare thought for a second. "I'm-"

"...ight...ark...Twilight Sparkle. Your name is Twilight."

The mare shook her head. Where had that voice come from? "I think my name is 'Twilight Sparkle.'"

The stallion breathed a sigh of relief. "At least you're starting to remember who you are. We'll take the small victories anytime."

Just then, somepony started banging on the door. "Open up! We know you're harboring the Imperial fugitive!" a guard demanded, flanked by his two barking dogs.

The stallion's expression grew grim. "Shoot, I thought we'd have more time. Looks like we have no choice." He hurried to his grandfather clock and grabbed a small flask from behind the pendulum, then he handed it to Twilight. "Take this. It's the Empire's Elixir. If you get hurt, a sip of this flask should perk you right up." He then motioned for her to exit out the back door. "Unfortunately, we don't have time to dally. You need to hurry through the back end of the mines and escape the city. I've arranged for somepony to escort you to Canterlot Castle; we need to keep you out of the Empire's hooves." With that, he shoved Twilight out the door and locked it behind him.

Twilight hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should trust the stallion. She heard the front door's hinges shatter, and the vicious ensuing argument between the guards and the stallion who had rescued her were all the convincing she needed to get going.

A long, rickety wooden bridge stretched before her. The bridge appeared to lead into the upper areas of the mine. To Twilight's chagrin, however, she discovered too late that it also ran right over the north end of the town square. As she tried to make her way across the tenuous footholds, a guard dog spotted her and began barking loudly, drawing the attention of the guards. "She's up there! Quick, intercept her!" barked one of the guards, prompting Twilight to break out into a gallop.

Why is everypony after me?! Who am I?! What did I do?! the panicked mare screamed in her mind as she reentered the mines. Inside, it was dark, still, and very cold. Twilight felt very alone and very vulnerable. She meandered furtively through the shafts, looking for any way to escape. Instead, she ran into the very guards that threatened to intercept her.

Panicked, Twilight turned around to run back the other way...but the guards that had broken into the stallion's house had caught up to her. She was cowering like a cornered animal, waiting for whatever the guards planned to do with her. As she backed against the wall, her rump brushed up against an irregular rock formation, which pressed into the wall...and suddenly the ground gave way beneath her.

Falling for what seemed like an eternity, Twilight landed on her hooves, but the impact knocked the wind out of her, along with any of her remaining strength. She tried to drag herself to the other end of the tunnel she found herself in, but only succeeded in falling face-first into the ground. As she lost consciousness, she began to dream...

A memory. She was in a cold room surrounded by steel and machinery. Barely clinging to consciousness, she beheld what she presumed to be her captor, a strange mishmash of various creatures. He had a goat's head, bat wings, a lion's paw, a bird's talon, a bull's hoof, and a dragon's tail and foot, among other things. Overall, he looked like a supreme being had just played mix-and-match with all the available animal parts he had.

As she took in the visual chaos of his appearance, the creature turned to Twilight and grinned wickedly. "Magic, my dear. You possess enough of it to level a city, and I'll be damned if I let a girl like you get away," he said in a deeply masculine, sinister voice. He presented a familiar-looking tiara, one the mare was sure she'd seen somewhere recently. "With this, I can ensure you will do exactly as I say. Oh, the glorious chaos we shall wreak!" His inflection had shifted from deeply sinister to gleeful, almost childlike. This man clearly reveled in destruction.

He placed the tiara upon Twilight's head, and suddenly her mind went dead. She couldn't think. Everything around her sounded hollow and distant. All she could focus on was her captor, who was still grinning like a madpony. He began cackling sardonically, which discomforted some part of Twilight that was still aware of what was going on. It was a fiendish laugh, one that would be forever ingrained in her psyche.

The creature led Twilight to the next room, where a strange contraption awaited her. It appeared to be a bipedal armored tank, piloted by a pony that would sit in the open cockpit. He commanded her to enter the armor, and as she did, she intuitively started it up. She wasn't sure how she knew how to operate the armor, but something was driving her will and commanding her to move it forward into the soldier training grounds.

Outside, a bewildered platoon of fifty soldiers stood waiting. They did not know who this strange mare was piloting the armor, but they had orders to engage her in combat as soon as she'd arrived. Before the first soldier could ready his weapon, however, Twilight instinctively pressed a trigger. The armor's chestplate opened, and a flamethrower emerged, charring the first column where they stood. Their screeching screams of agony were burned into Twilight's mind, and the remaining soldiers started to flee.

Her captor-turned-trainer began to cackle again. "Hee hee! Chaos! Burn everything!" Unable to resist, Twilight did precisely that.

Remembering still further, Twilight gazed upon a crowd of ponies, all dressed in military attire. They were cheering on a griffon, who seemed to be addressing them. The Emperor, perhaps...? She didn't know, but she was compelled to listen.

"Listen up, all you candy-ass ponies! It's time for us to show the world the true might of the Empire! Nopony deserves to rule the world but us, and we're going to show them just what it means to tangle with the Empire's unstoppable magical might!" A cheer erupted from the crowd before she continued. "Those totally lame rebels can't possibly resist us. We have the greatest power in the world on our side!"

The ponies began chanting fervently. "Long live Emperor Gilda! Long live Emperor Gilda!"

"Aw horseapples, Ah'm so late!"

A lithe young mare with a bright yellow coat and a crimson mane tied in a ribbon burst through the door of the house in front of her. Inside, she greeted the stallion in her customary country drawl. "Sorry Ah'm late! Ah got held up again treasure huntin'!"

The stallion sighed. "Applebloom, you do realize that stealing from other ponies doesn't qualify as 'treasure hunting,' right?"

Applebloom stared at him, aghast. "Who the hay said I was doin' somethin' like that?! Y'all jump to conclusions too much! Ah'm on the side of justice. Don't think Ah can't do it just 'cuz Ah'm a blank flank! Ah'm almost as old as you!"

Applebloom had not yet earned her cutie mark despite being old enough to be called an adult. It was an especially sore point for the pony, since so many ponies decided she was not truly mature without that infernal butt mark. Still, she had talents. She was a whiz with machinery, and she was even better at, er, appropriating somepony else's valuables.

The stallion slammed the door behind her, then peeked outside to see if anypony was within earshot. "Listen, Applebloom. The mare the Imperials brought with them is on the run in the mines. I called you here because I want you to escort her to Canterlot. Princess Celestia should have some idea what we should do with her."

"Ya don't mean...that creepy unicorn?! But Ah thought she was with the Empire!" Applebloom retorted.

"She was being controlled. She doesn't even remember who she is. Please, go help her! If Neighshe or the Empire gets hold of her, we can't be sure of what will happen! Now, go!"

Applebloom nodded in determination, then ran out the back door towards the mines. As she entered the mines, she noticed one of the Neighshe guard's trap holes had been triggered. Jumping down, she spotted the unconscious body of the mare. "Hang on, girl, Ah'm gettin' you outta here!"

No sooner had she said this than a regiment of guards blocked the cave's exit. "Halt! Surrender the Imperial officer or die!"

"Aw Celestia, these guys ain't messin' around! How'm Ah supposed t'fight off all of those guys by mahself?!" Applebloom pondered. It certainly seemed like she was outnumbered.

"Ba-caw!" A series of chicken clucks echoed throughout the mine. Applebloom spun around towards the source, her face scrunched in bewilderment. A bunch of diminutive orange pegasus ponies with stubby wings scrambled through the tunnel, clucking like chickens the whole way.

Applebloom's face lit up in recognition. "Hey! I remember hearing about y'all! You're the Scootles, ain'tcha?!" Her question was answered by a series of cheery clucks. "Did y'all come to help me get her to safety?" In response, the orange pegasi lined up protectively in front of Applebloom.

"All right! Y'all keep the grunts busy while Ah take out their commander!" Applebloom deftly maneuvered through the melee as the Scootles intercepted the advancing guards. Having broken through their lines easily, she stood face-to-face with the commander.

A gruff-sounding officer, the commander sneered at Applebloom's approach. "Oh, did the blank flank come over to play? Don't worry, I'll make this quick. I'll see you hanged for collusion with the Empire-huh?!" Reaching for his weapon, the commander suddenly realized it was not in his sheath. He glanced back to Applebloom, who was grinning widely and twirling a mythril knife adeptly in her hoof.

"Lookin' fer somethin', Officer?" she taunted before entering a battle stance. The commander, flustered, ordered a hasty retreat, leaving his regiment confused and directionless. The Scootles easily trounced their adversaries with the lack of their command structure.

Returning to the mare, Applebloom thanked the Scootles one last time. "Ah swear, Ah'll repay the favor somehow!" Waving goodbye, she hoisted the mare onto her back and hurried through the previously blocked shaft. At the end of the tunnel, she set the unicorn down on the ground while she fumbled around on the wall for a hidden switch. Turning back to the mare, she noticed a small flask in her saddlebag. "That's an Elixir! Ah should probably give her some," Applebloom reasoned. She picked up the flask and poured its contents down the mare's throat, helping her swallow.

Shortly thereafter, the unicorn awoke with a coughing fit. "Ah, yer finally awake, are ya? The Scootles'n'Ah had a pretty rough time savin' yer hide! Ah hope yer okay." The mare nodded in response. "All right, now, we ain't got much time fer introductions, but mah name's Applebloom. What's yers?"

The unicorn looked down for a second before replying, "My name is Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. I...can't remember anything else."

Applebloom recalled her earlier conversation with the stallion who'd rescued her. "Yeah, Ah thought ya might be havin' amnesia. Don't worry, yer memory should return with time. Right now we got bigger apples to buck, though! Ah promised Ah'd get ya t'Canterlot Castle. Princess Celestia oughta know what all we should do!"

Applebloom beckoned for Twilight to follow her out of the cave, then showed her a hidden switch on the outcropping. "Remember where this switch is, Miss Twilight. It opens this here secret entrance that only we resistance members know about." As if to prove her point, she pressed the switch, and the rock face itself seemed to push out and seal itself. "All right, let's go. It's a long trot to Canterlot, and we don't wanna run into th' Empire like this."

With nary another word spoken between the two, they set off together.

Canterlot Castle rose through the desert majestically, the only sign of civilized ponies in the hot, dry wasteland. Its cold steel surfaces and mechanical outcroppings stood out starkly against the blistering yellow sand and scorching sun. It was like nothing Twilight had ever seen before, and she was further impressed that Applebloom apparently knew the princess of the castle.

As they approached the front gate, a guard pony blocked the door with his hoof sternly. "Halt! Nopony may enter without Her Majesty's permission."

Applebloom smirked at Twilight, then turned back to the guard. "Ah can't believe y'all keep fergettin' what Ah look like! It's me, Applebloom! I have somepony to introduce to the princess."

The guard stared for a second, confused. He whispered something through a nearby speakerphone installed on the wall outside, then appeared quite flustered. "O-of course, Miss Applebloom. I apologize; I am new around here. Of course, you and your guest may proceed."

As he stepped out of the way, the giant steel gate of Canterlot Castle opened before them, revealing a small room with regal décor. Applebloom tugged Twilight's hoof, compelling her to follow. After a brief walk through the castle, they came upon the throne room. Applebloom turned to Twilight and directed her to a spot in front of the mare on the throne. "Wait right here, Miss Twilight. I'll tell the princess who ya are."

The pony on the throne was like nothing Twilight had ever seen before. She had a long horn like Twilight, but she also had large, majestic wings like a pegasus. Her mane flowed in the wind and reminded Twilight of all the colors she'd ever witnessed in the sky blended into one smooth wave.

The mare bade Applebloom to approach her, and Applebloom began exchanging terse whispers with the princess. The mare's expression went from interest to consternation, then abject surprise. "She's the one?!" she blurted out, loud enough for all assembled to hear. The princess walked circles around Twilight, seemingly appraising her, before turning away.

Twilight was very uncomfortable at all the sudden attention. "Um...Excuse me? What's going on here?"

The princess' ears perked up, and she turned around to face Twilight. "Oh! Terribly sorry, My Little Pony. I seem to have forgotten my manners. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Celestia, and I am the princess of this Canterlot Castle." As if to drive the point home, she winked at Twilight coquettishly, causing the lavender mare to blush deeply in response. Celestia merely giggled at this, then turned to Applebloom.

Applebloom, for her part, was grinning mischievously. "Haha, looks like you made a new friend there, Princess. Surprised Ah know royalty, are ya, Twilight?" Celestia and Applebloom exchanged a rapid series of hoofbumps and back pats in what Twilight could only assume was some kind of secret hoofshake, then Applebloom galloped out of the throne room. "Ah have some stuff Ah gotta take care of. Ah'll see y'all later!"

Celestia commanded her guards to leave, then waited until she was alone with Twilight. She breathed a deep sigh. "So, my dear. You're a unicorn, are you not?" Twilight averted her gaze to the ground once more. Celestia placed a hoof on her chin and raised her head up. "It's okay. You're safe here, I promise. I care deeply about all my subjects, and I would never abandon you when you're feeling vulnerable."

Twilight looked like she was lost in thought. This was all a lot to take in for the mare, and she wasn't sure who really had her best interests at heart. Finally, she decided to speak up. "Princess...with all due respect, why is everypony so obsessed with me? What's special about me? Are unicorns really that weird?"

Celestia smiled warmly at Twilight. "Please, call me Celestia. No need for formalities around here. My dear subject, I sense great magical potential in you. We have all the resources in Canterlot you could possibly need to engage in intense, focused study. We even have the most advanced library in all of Equestria!"

Twilight's ears had perked up at the mention of a library. "You mean...all the books I could ever want?! And you'd actually let me stay here?"

"Why, of course, My Little Pony. You do need to understand, however, that the Empire will probably stop at nothing to retrieve you. We will do all in our power to keep you safe. In the meantime, please cooperate with us." Celestia began to walk towards the double doors leading to the throne room. "Now, if you'll pardon me, I have some things to take care of. Please feel free to look around."

With Celestia gone, Twilight was alone again. "This is all too much to take in. Why does everypony want to protect me or kidnap me? What's so special about little old me?" Overwhelmed by her thoughts, Twilight began wandering aimlessly around the castle. Before long, she stumbled into a very regal bedchamber which was being cleaned by a maid. The maid's young filly was playing in the corner, saying something about somepony's wings being "so pretty," but Twilight didn't pay attention. She was entranced by the sheer majesty of the sleeping arrangements.

The maid noticed Twilight's appraisal of her surroundings and smiled. "Oh, I haven't seen you around before. Might you be the princess' cherished guest?" she inquired. Twilight nodded, prompting her to continue. "How wonderful! It's been ages since I've seen new ponies in Canterlot that weren't threatening to have our heads on a pike."

It was then that Twilight noticed that there were two beds side-by-side. "Wait...isn't this Princess Celestia's bedchamber?"

The maid nodded. "Why, yes it is, dear. Whyever would you ask?"

"Well, it seems strange. Why are there two beds? Surely the princess doesn't roll over in her sleep that much?"

The maid's expression grew somber. "Yes...well. Princess Celestia has a younger sister. Her sister was always much more traditional and rigid than the princess you see today."

The maid proceeded to tell Twilight of the royal sisters.

Celestia was studying in the library. She bore a pained expression, forcing herself to concentrate on her royal studies. The door opened, and a mare with a deep blue coat, a dark starry mane that flowed in the wind, and a horn and wings like Celestia walked in. She approached Celestia, who acknowledged the mare by gazing into her eyes. "My dear sister Luna, why have you interrupted my studies? What is on your mind?"

Luna seemed distraught, on the verge of tears. "Sister! Why has nopony told me our father has fallen ill?! Why is everypony talking about a coronation soon to take place?! Whatever is going on?!"

Celestia sighed. Her sister still was not wise in the ways of the world. "Sister, our father's time is running out. Somepony has to lead Canterlot, and I'm afraid the task must fall to us."

Luna immediately broke down, shrieking at her sister. "What is wrong with you?! Have you no compassion?! Is there truly nothing we can do to remedy Father's health?!"

Celestia hung her head in response, abandoning her book at the table and walking away. Luna immediately felt a twinge of guilt. "Sister, I'm sorry..." she whimpered as Celestia tearfully exited the room.

The maid sighed. "Princess Luna, how she took after her father! We know not what has become of her, for she left the kingdom shortly before Celestia's coronation. I do hope she's okay. We all miss her vibrant personality."

Twilight thanked the maid for the story, then wandered off back towards the throne room. Goodness, she must feel so lonely...kind of like I do right now, she thought to herself with a heavy sigh. She'd been dragged into a conflict she never wanted to be a part of, and she still didn't have any clue who she was or why anypony cared what happened to her.

As she walked through the castle, she happened upon the chancellor, a businesslike pony with a pink coat. "Oh, hi there, Miss Twilight! Celestia said she was looking for you in the throne room!"

Twilight nodded, then thought of something. "Miss Chancellor?"

"Please, call me Cadance."

"Okay, Miss Cadance? Princess Celestia is the ruler of Canterlot, isn't she?"

Cadance scrunched her face in confusion. "Why, yes, she is. Why do you ask?"

Twilight averted her gaze. "Well...if she's the ruler, why isn't her title Queen Celestia?"

Cadance sighed. "Oh, that. When Celestia was crowned ruler of Canterlot, she explicitly turned down the title of 'Queen.' We know not whether this is out of deference to her father, respect for her sister, or some other reason, but she insisted on being a princess."

Twilight nodded, then continued towards the throne room silently. As she opened the door, she noticed Celestia sitting on her throne once more. Celestia gave Twilight another flirtatious grin. "Why, there you are, Twilight! So, what did you think of the accommodations? Pretty nice, eh?"

Before Twilight could answer, the throne room doors burst open. One of Canterlot's messengers rushed through the doors to Celestia's side, breathless. He held a hoof up as if asking for a reprieve, then spake frantically. "Your Highness! Somepony from the Empire is en route to the castle! I think they want to speak with you!"

Celestia's voice lowered to a venomous growl. "Discord..."

A short distance from the castle, a strange creature with a goat head and myriad other animal parts traipsed through the scorching sands surrounding Canterlot's seat of power, escorted by two of the Empire's finest soldiers. He wore a strained expression on his caprine face, and he frequently stopped to brush sand out of his eyes.

"Why in the name of all that is chaos would somepony live way the hell out here?! This is positively barbaric! I should not have to babysit this asinine entourage of rebellious ponies! This is clearly a waste of my talents!"

He held out one of his mismatched legs. "Gentlecolts, I have more sand stuck in my feet. Make yourselves useful and clean it out!"

The soldiers hastily saluted. "Y-yes, sir, Discord, sir!"

As they cleaned his legs off, Discord laughed a very sardonic laugh which echoed across the desert.

"What was that laugh?! I know I've heard it somewhere before!" exclaimed Twilight, suddenly very nervous.

Celestia looked at Twilight sternly. "Stay here. Do not under any circumstances leave the room or make a sound until I retrieve you. Am I clear?"

Twilight nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. Celestia hurried out the doors and intercepted Discord near the front of the castle.

"Discord! Canterlot and the Empire are allies! What is the meaning of barging into my kingdom with an armed escort?!" she demanded.

Discord smirked. "My dear Celestia, you're so adorable when you're flustered. However, I'm here on business. The Empire has it on good authority that you are harboring a fugitive."

Celestia remained unfazed. "This is one hell of a strongarm you're pulling here, Discord. Why so much force for one pony? And what makes you think that pony came here, of all places?"

Discord's visage hardened. "Princess, lying is not a very becoming habit. Royalty should be above such petty practices, should we not?"

"She's not here, Discord. We've only heard rumors about an Imperial fugitive escaping Neighshe. If she'd shown up here, believe me, you'd be the first to know."

Discord stamped the ground impatiently. "Let me put this in terms even you can understand, Princess. Give us the girl, and I can personally guarantee no unfortunate disasters will befall your precious Canterlot Castle."

"Are you threatening me, Discord?" Celestia replied indignantly.

"I'm just saying, if you don't give us the girl, something may or may not happen," Discord sneered.

"I want you out of my castle this instant. Any further threats will be considered an act of war, and we will not take such acts sitting down."

Discord grunted, then turned around to leave. "Fine. I hope you're up to the task of explaining to all the orphaned little foals why their parents are no longer around."

With that, Discord and his escorts left. Celestia waited until they had left the castle proper, then turned to walk back to the throne room. Applebloom had been guarding the door. "Nice show, Princess! You really know how ta put the vise on that Discord freak o'nature!"

Celestia smirked at Applebloom's frankness, then grew somber again. "Where is Twilight? Is she safe?"

Applebloom nodded. "Yep. She hasn't left the throne room at all. Ah made sure of it."

Celestia heaved a sigh of relief. "Good. Take her to her room. I must consult with the chancellor about our next move." As Twilight opened the door, Celestia immediately perked up. "Oh, hello there, Twilight! Applebloom will show you to your bedchamber. Royal duty calls, and I'm afraid I can't have anyone watching me do my duty!" She chuckled at her own pun, then walked towards the throne room.

Twilight followed Applebloom down a side passage. Before long, they entered the castle library. Twilight had never seen a more beautiful room in all her life. All of Canterlot's...no, the world's knowledge, gathered in one towering room. Twilight could get lost in bliss for hours here.

"Like books, do ya?" Applebloom said, startling her out of her reverie.

Twilight nodded, smiling. "Yes, I do. I'm not really sure why, but there's something incredible about all this raw knowledge that just makes me want to absorb it all. I don't remember much about myself, but I would absolutely love to be a librarian."

Applebloom slapped Twilight hard in the back, causing her to wince. "Hah! And here Ah thought you didn't have any expression besides that awful sad puppy look yer always sportin'! It's so nice t'see ya smile!"

Twilight blushed. "I don't always look like that! I'm just..."

Applebloom waved her hoof. "Whatever, it is what it is. Don't worry about it. Here, yer room's down these stairs."

They walked down a staircase into a small, relatively modest bedroom with a desk and a single bed. Compared to the rest of the castle, it lacked much of the grandeur, but Twilight felt more at ease sleeping in a plain room than one adorned with garish decorations.

Applebloom beamed at Twilight. "Here ya are! Home, sweet home! We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so ya better rest up!"

Twilight sighed. "Applebloom...What's going on? I overheard Celestia talking to that...that thing. She said Canterlot and the Empire are allies! What's going to happen to me?!"

Applebloom stuck a hoof in Twilight's mouth to quiet her. "Listen. Celestia is only pretending to support the Empire. As long as she maintains a front of alliance with the Empire, her citizens are safe from Imperial incursion. But really, she's with the New Lunar Republic. Ah'm her contact with the NLR. We're dedicated to seein' Canterlot, and perhaps the rest of Equestria, returned to peaceful and sound rule. That stallion you met in Neighshe is one of us, and he's the one who told me about ya."

Twilight frowned. "But what does any of this have to do with me? According to everything I've heard, I'm an Imperial officer! Why does everypony want to help me?!"

Applebloom slapped Twilight across the face. "Listen. We're here to help. We're yer friends. All that nasty Empire ever did was enslave ya and use ya to get at that Esper in Neighshe. No matter what happens, we want to prevent that from happenin'."

"But what am I supposed to do? I'm not a soldier, at least I don't think so! I don't have any stake in this."

Applebloom lowered her head. "Guess Ah can't really convince ya mahself. Look, at least stick with us fer a little while. If nothin' else, Ah promised ya Ah'd protect ya, and Ah don't renege on mah promises. Now please get some rest, Miss Twilight. We'll be leavin' for the NLR hideout in the mornin', most likely."

Twilight nodded. "Okay..." With that, Applebloom left the room, leaving Twilight once again alone with her thoughts.

But...if everypony is fighting, which side is right? Where do I fit in?

Celestia tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't sleep. Something was really bothering her about Discord's threat earlier. He wouldn't really do anything that rash, would he? she pondered. Deciding she wouldn't be able to sleep, she decided to roll out of bed. It was then that she heard the commotion. "What the...what's going on?!"

Fearing the worst, she ran outside to inspect the castle.

As she did, she spotted Discord with a small platoon of soldiers. The soldiers were armed with flamethrowers, and large sections of the outer wall were aflame. Celestia seethed as she approached Discord. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Discord bowed in front of Celestia in mock reverence. "Oh, my dear, sweet Princess Celestia! I simply could not stop this unfortunate, heinous act! If only you had given me the mare sooner, this all could have been avoided!"

Celestia felt like bucking Discord right then and there, but she restrained herself. Quickly, she ran to the chancellor, who was standing guard near the throne room. "All right, get ready! We're putting the plan into action now!"

Cadance saluted. "Yes, Your Highness! We're ready!"

Cadance disappeared into the throne room as Discord approached. "You know, Celestia, you're not a very cooperative ruler. You know how to end all of this," he said, dripping with condescension.

Celestia faced Discord and grinned mischievously. "All right, Discord. If you want to play, let's play." With that, she juked to the side, jumping off the castle wall onto an awaiting yellow birdlike creature below. "The name of the game is 'Catch Me if You Can!'"

Two more birds followed behind as she circled the castle. Discord furiously taunted her as she escaped. "What's the matter, Princess?! Leaving so soon?! Perhaps I can redecorate your castle with the blood of your abandoned subjects!"

Ignoring Discord, Celestia steered under a walkway where Applebloom and Twilight were waiting. "Quick! Jump onto the Chocobos! We'll make our escape while he's busy!"

Not wasting any time, Applebloom and Twilight did as instructed. The three rode their Chocobos past the outside of the castle, with Discord screaming at them from the front gate. "What now, Celestia?! Are you really doing this?!"

Celestia grinned. "I trust my subjects far more than you seem to trust anypony else." She raised her voice to a commanding royal shout. "Everypony, now! Dive!"

Canterlot Castle began to rumble as all of its citizens scrambled to get inside. Discord was knocked off his feet, falling outside of the castle walls. As he looked up, the castle began to retract its towers and sink into the desert sands. He caught a glimpse of the chancellor atop the castle's keep. She smirked at Discord. "Nopony can touch the citizens of Canterlot!"

Within a couple of minutes, Canterlot Castle had completely disappeared beneath the sands. Discord uttered a stream of enraged curses. "Hunt them! Disembowel them! I WANT THEIR HORNS!"

Applebloom glanced behind them. There were two bipedal armors advancing on them with alarming speed. "Uh, Princess, Ah think we got a fight on our hooves!"

They jumped off their Chocobos and turned to face their pursuers. Twilight yelped when she recognized the armors in front of them. "Hey! What are those things?! I could swear I've seen them before!"

Celestia grimaced. "Magitek armor. The shock troops of the Empire. They use artificially conjured magic to lay waste to towns and bring them to bear under the Imperial hoof. We're in for a rough fight."

Applebloom pulled out a gigantic repeating crossbow. "Good thing Ah pilfered this from the royal stores before we left, then!" As Celestia stared slack-jawed at her, Applebloom fired several steel-shafted bolts into the core of one of the armors, causing it to explode on the spot. Before Applebloom could celebrate, however, the other armor charged up an Ice Beam, firing a frigid blast straight for where she stood. Celestia shoved her out of the way moments before the ground became encased with frost.

Celestia fumed at Applebloom. "You didn't have to steal that stuff! You could have just asked!"

Applebloom blushed. "It's kind of a moot point anyway...Ah forgot to steal any extra ammo."

Celestia's face collided with her hoof so forcibly that it knocked her tiara clean off. Now they had no way to damage the other armor. Their options were running out, and-wait, Twilight's horn was glowing. Celestia did a double-take. She'd never known unicorn or alicorn horns to glow. What could she be doing?

No sooner had she pondered this than a magical stream of flame erupted from Twilight's horn, striking the core squarely. The heat from the impact caused the armor to overheat, prompting its emergency systems to eject the protective plating surrounding the core itself so it could vent.

As Celestia tried to process this, her body jumped back in total shock. Applebloom, noticing this, inquired, "Um...Princess? What's wrong?"

Celestia turned to Applebloom sheepishly. "Forgive me, Miss Applebloom. I had...never witnessed anything like that before, and was frankly doubting it was possible."

"Seen what? That flame? She was doin' that to monsters on the way over. What's so special about it?"

"Applebloom, don't you see? That was magic. Real magic. Not this pseudo-magic the Empire uses. You know, conjured fire, instant healing? Magic."

Applebloom stared at Twilight, unable to articulate anymore. "M-M-M-M-M-M-MAGIC?! That was MAGIC?!"

The two walked off to the side and began to whisper to each other. Celestia looked up from their huddle. "Twilight, dear, does that just come naturally to you?"

Twilight frowned and cast her gaze groundward. "Oh, I'm sorry...everypony seems to treat me like an outcast any time I use my magic. I guess I should have known better..."

Applebloom rushed to her side. "No, no! Ah'm sorry. Ah didn't mean to make such a big deal out of it," she offered hastily.

Celestia joined the two. "Why, I don't think I've met anypony with such raw potential before! You're a pretty special pony, Twilight!"

Applebloom glanced behind them. While not especially mobile yet, the Magitek armor that remained had almost finished its cooling cycle, and the pony at the helm was glaring at them for ignoring him. "Uh, not to sound impatient or anything, but shouldn't we be finishin' our business here before we get too caught up?"

Twilight grinned. "You're right. We should probably finish this fight before we get too carried away. Thanks, both of you." She winked at them coquettishly, trying to mimic Celestia from earlier. It was such a hilariously awkward yet cute gesture that both Celestia and Applebloom became wobbly-kneed, collapsing where they stood in hedonistic pleasure. "H-hey! Stop that! We're just finishing the fight now!" Twilight shrieked, suddenly awash with embarrassment.

Applebloom perked up. "R-right! Just leave this ta me!" She pulled out the mythril knife she'd acquired earlier from the commander in Neighshe. Before the pony in the armor could react, she dashed up to the core and jammed the knife into the reactor, causing the second Magitek armor to explode as well.

Celestia whispered to Twilight. "Aren't you glad she's on our side?" Twilight giggled in response as they hopped back on their Chocobos, running past a flabbergasted Discord.

Discord, foaming at the mouth, tried to think of something, anything to vocalize his abject rage. All he managed to muster, however, was "SON OF A SEAPONY!"

Off in the distance, the trio began making their way towards the caves that led to Canterlot City. Twilight became pensive once more, riding in silence for a few minutes before saying anything. "That...that thing. He's the one who put that tiara on me...I'm frightened."

Celestia pulled up alongside Twilight. "Twilight, there's somepony I'd like you to meet. We're members of the New Lunar Republic, and our organizer, Mayor Mare, would most certainly like to meet somepony of your unique talents. We're going to need magic to win this upcoming war, and you are the key to unlocking it, my dear Twilight."

Twilight stared vacantly forward. "Magic...?"

Celestia nodded. "You have quite a unique gift, dear Twilight. We can't stop the Empire without using such a crucial tool."

Twilight was shocked. "Unique?! I'd always been treated as an outcast, but I didn't think I was the only pony who knew magic! It's...it's so natural for me, almost like breathing!"

Celestia stroked her chin with her hoof. "That's rather unusual that nopony told you how rare that is these days. Real magic has not existed for hundreds of years. Did the Empire teach you those spells, or-"

Twilight had slowed to a stop. Realizing this, Celestia and Applebloom reined in their Chocobos to pull alongside her.

Twilight's vision was marred by tears. She couldn't take it anymore. "Why?! Why me?! What am I going to do?!"

Celestia sighed grimly. "Twilight, if the Empire catches you again, there's no reason to believe they won't enslave you on the spot. They are very singular in their goal, and they don't care who gets harmed in the crossfire. If we allow you to fall into their hands, we may as well kiss the whole of Equestria goodbye. Even if you choose not to fight, at the very least come with us and allow us to protect you. Come, let's head towards the NLR hideout. Mayor Mare will know of a way to hide you from the Imperials."

Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. She had little choice but to be swept up on the wings of destiny.

Celestia perked up almost immediately. "Well then, enough of this somber silliness! We're heading to Canterlot City en route to the NLR headquarters. Let's try to have a little fun, shall we?"

The others agreed. It might be a long time before they got another chance to breathe.

Author's Note

Boy, that was a bit more of a doozy to write than I was expecting, but it became more fun for me as I began writing the character dialogue.

I would like to reiterate, for those of you who think I'm making all of this up as I go, that the script is inspired by an actual, existing hack for Final Fantasy VI. You can download and play it yourself here, or you can watch my playthrough on my Youtube playlist.

Chapter 2: Reunion

"Well, here we are!" Celestia proclaimed cheerily as the trio approached a rather large cave entrance and dismounted their Chocobos.

Twilight stared at the cave entrance, perplexed. "And...where is 'here,' exactly?"

"This is the famous Canterlot Cave, the pass that connects Canterlot Castle to Canterlot City. It's a very important thoroughfare," Celestia rattled off with rehearsed enthusiasm. Applebloom pantomimed a gag as Celestia continued to ramble about the historical importance of the cave, prompting a stifled giggle from Twilight.

A solder and his Chocobo were stationed at the entrance to the cave. Upon sighting Celestia, he stood at attention and saluted. "Ma'am! Nopony has been through here since we got word that you had fled the castle."

Celestia nodded. "Canterlot thanks you for your diligence. We must pass through now, but I have a task for you. Go inform the residents of Canterlot Castle that we are safe, and make sure they are prepared to deal with an Imperial incursion. I fear this is not the last we have seen of them."

The soldier saluted again. "Ma'am!" He then proceeded to mount his Chocobo and ride back in the direction that Canterlot Castle stood prior to sinking beneath the ground.

Celestia turned to her traveling companions. "Well then, shall we be off? It's only a short trek through the cave, but I'd like to get to Canterlot City as soon as possible. We don't know how quickly the Empire will be chasing after us."

As they walked through the cave, Twilight began to shiver. Her heart was racing, and she was having trouble breathing. Celestia glanced over to notice that the unicorn was frantically looking all around, and she placed a comforting hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Twilight, what's wrong? Don't tell me you're claustrophobic, are you?"

Twilight shuddered. "N-no, not particularly. This cave just reminds me of those horrible Neighshe mines. I feel like we're going to be ambushed if I don't keep looking everywhere."

Celestia tousled Twilight's mane. "We said we were going to protect you, and I'm not one to back down on my word. Besides, we're not in Neighshe. Canterlot City may not exactly be a military force, but I don't think they'd just let the Empire have their run of these caves. We shouldn't run into any real trouble."

Applebloom checked out the side passages. "Are you sure we shouldn't be checkin' out some o'these side areas? I know we're in a hurry to get to Canterlot City, but it feels like we could explore a bit."

Celestia shook her head. "This trip is not for fun, Applebloom. I know the quickest way through the cave, and I'd prefer if we took it. Maybe when this is all over, I'll take you up on that exploration offer."

They passed by a stream that ran through the cave. "Hey, I just realized how thirsty I am," Twilight said, seemingly having calmed down at the sight of running water. She bent down by the stream to drink, splashing her face with the cool, refreshing water as she did so.

Celestia decided to join her. "Yes, one of the best things about Canterlot Cave is its refreshing spring water. Every time I take a sip, I feel rejuvenated." Celestia made a mental note to start an operation selling the spring water to rich ponies in Canterlot to fund repairs to her castle.

Twilight finished up with the drink, then turned to Celestia. "I've decided. I will trust you both to protect me until we reach our destination. But I feel like I should ask what you feel that I can do? If I do help you, is there really any way I can be of use?"

Celestia nodded solemnly. "What my compatriots will ask of you is not going to be easy, but I fear it's the only option left to us. Not only are you the only pony we know that can use real magic, but you have some connection to the Espers, or at least to the one in Neighshe. We do not have nearly the horsepower necessary to stop the Empire from doing what they please by ourselves. We need you to talk to the Esper in Neighshe and see if there's any way we can use its power to stop the Empire."

Twilight thought about this for a moment. "Princess Celestia, I'm not sure I can do that. I'm not sure I want to do that. The last time I tried to do that, I almost lost control of my body. I'm frightened of what might happen if I try again, and I'm frightened of this power I seem to have. What if I hurt somepony? How could I live with myself if I-"

"That's enough," Celestia interrupted. "This is a big decision, and I don't expect you to make it immediately. Think it over, meet with our leader, and then maybe you'll have a better idea of what you want to do."

"Yeah! We don't wanna force ya to do anythin' ya don't wanna do," Applebloom added. "If ya do choose to talk to the Esper, we'll support ya and protect ya. You have mah promise!" Applebloom did a little pose to show she was serious.

Twilight smiled. "Well, okay. I'll think about it. I'm just glad you two are calling me 'friend.' Everypony else seems to think I'm just...just a tool."

"Well, we can talk about that later. The exit's just up ahead, and I'd like to hit Canterlot City's bar before we hit the hay tonight." Celestia waved them forward, and they walked towards the bright light leading outside.

Canterlot City's bustling plaza came into view. Twilight could not remember the last time she'd seen such a large, busy city. There were foals playing in the streets, vendors yelling from their storefronts, and tipsy ponies wandering out of the local pub shortly before collapsing on the cobblestone. It was a far cry from the harsh, freezing town square of Neighshe, and it certainly helped that there weren't any guards trying to capture her for crimes she couldn't even remember committing.

Twilight noticed Celestia and Applebloom making a beeline for the bar, so she quickly followed so as not to get left behind. Inside, there were quite a few questionable-looking individuals, and Twilight wasn't sure she wanted to stick around for very long. Celestia had already sat down at a table and started downing shots of apple whiskey. She turned to Twilight with an unusually cheery grin plastered on her face. "Come on, Twilight! Live it up! You're only young once!" she exclaimed with unusual candor.

Twilight blinked vacantly before responding. "U-um, that's okay. I think I'll pass," she responded nervously.

Celestia scoffed. "Ah, whatever. More for me." She started rapping the table with her hoof impatiently. "Hey! Another round over here!"

Applebloom dragged Twilight away, sighing. "Don't pay her any mind, Twilight. Ah can't make heads nor tails o'her when she gets like this."

Twilight grimaced. "Is she really a princess? I don't recall ever hearing about royalty guzzling whiskey..."

"Well, Ah'm sure Ah don't have to inform ya that she's not yer typical princess. She wasn't always like that, though. Seems like when her sister left, she started changin'. Now she flirts with everypony she meets, drinks heavily whenever she gets the chance, and really doesn't act like you'd expect a princess to act."

Twilight nodded. I wonder if she's just masking her pain? she pondered.

Looking up, Twilight noticed a strange mare with a buttery coat and a silky straight pink mane sitting at the barstools. Nearby was a cute-looking bunny with a vicious scowl who appeared to be growling at nearby patrons. Twilight felt compelled to pet the bunny despite its obstinate demeanor, but Applebloom held her back. "Wait, Twilight! Ah know who that is!"

Twilight glanced at Applebloom. "You do? Should we talk to her?"

Applebloom shook her head. "There have been stories. Stories of a mare who is as deadly as she is beautiful, as vicious as she is quiet. They call her Fluttershy, and Ah swear Ah remember hearing she had a pet that could stand hoof-to-hoof with one of the Empire's best."

Twilight stared at the bunny in disbelief. "Surely you don't mean that cute little bunny?! What could he possibly do?"

"Do ya really wanna find out?" Applebloom retorted dourly. "Ah think it's best if we don't spend too much time in here. Let's go check in at the inn, since our princess is in another castle."

Twilight nodded in acknowledgement. Bars were certainly not her scene, and she was exhausted anyway. There was no telling what the next day would bring, so she followed Applebloom next door to the inn.

"Oi, barkeep! What kind of joint are you running here?!" Celestia demanded, half a dozen empty shot glasses before her.

The stallion at the bar eyed her flushed face. "Don't you think you've had enough? I'm afraid I'm gonna have to cut you off."

Celestia spat on the ground beside her. "Don't you know who I am?! I'm the-the prinshesh!" She stood up rapidly, then stumbled over backwards into one of the nearby tables and crashed to the floor. The shattering table drew the attention of the other patrons, who backed off slowly as a couple of bouncers picked her up bodily and threw her out the front door into the street. Celestia muttered an unintelligible curse before passing out.

A small bunny cautiously bounced up to where the mare had blacked out, looking around to see if anypony was watching. Satisfied that nopony seemed to be paying them any mind, he started dragging Celestia tail-first towards an obscured alleyway. The lone door in the alley opened, and a yellow hoof beckoned for the bunny.

Helping the small bunny drag the much larger mare in, the yellow pegasus quickly shut the door behind them and peeked out a tiny slat to be sure nopony had followed them. Breathing a sigh of relief, she grabbed a nearby bucket of water and splashed Celestia's face with it. The freezing water shocked her awake, and she sputtered and kicked as she came to her senses.

"O-oh dear, I'm sorry to wake you so rudely. Are you okay?" the pegasus timidly asked, her voice gentle and sweet.

Celestia looked around, then clutched her head in pain. "Oh dear...I think I may have overdone it at the bar. I hope I haven't put off poor Twilight by my behavior." Opening her eyes, she finally noticed the pegasus in front of her. "Oh, I do apologize! Were you the one who carried me out of that dreadful street corner?"

"U-um, I did, if that's okay..." the mare whimpered, trailing off. "I'm sorry, I just heard you say you were a princess in there. Is that true?"

Celestia was picking herself up off the ground and preening some feathers that had jostled loose in the bar confusion. "Why, yes, I am, but I wasn't sure if anypony believed me with how boorish I was acting. Again, I'm very sorry," she added.

The mare shook her head. "No, no, it's okay...but I think I heard of somepony who lives in a cottage north of here, near Mt. Colts, who was talking about her long-lost sister being a princess."

Celestia narrowed her eyes. Could it really be true? "Are you sure you've heard correctly? I am heading towards Mt. Colts anyway, and if what you say is true, perhaps I will need to make a stop..."

"Oh, and I think your friends went to the inn. You should probably meet them there," the pegasus added, averting her gaze. "Angel Bunny can lead you there, but I'm afraid I can't help you any more than that."

Celestia turned the mare's cheek so they were face-to-face. "Whoever you are, you've been a great help to me. Please take care of yourself. I would like to visit you again the next time I'm passing through and repay the favor somehow."

Celestia exited the small room, stumbling half-drunk towards the impatient little bunny that was leading her to the inn. The mare said nothing, merely waiting until the princess was out of earshot before whimpering to herself.

"Good morrrrning, everypony!" Celestia shouted, rousing her companions from their slumber.

Applebloom rubbed her eyes groggily, then shoved a pillow onto her face, whining. "Aw, come on! It's too early. Ah'm gonna get another hour o'sleep."

"No time. I think I finally have a lead on my sister's whereabouts, and I'll be bucked if I don't check it out immediately. That means you're coming with me, Applebloom. It's on the way to Mt. Colts anyway, and we need to hook up with the New Lunar Republic again." Celestia drew the shades, revealing the morning sun and blinding Applebloom.

Twilight giggled, then continued eating her wheat bagel she'd picked up for breakfast. Applebloom groaned and accompanied Twilight at the table, mumbling under her breath about princesses and alcohol.

Celestia placed her bag of bits on the table and began counting out how much she had left. "We're going to rent some Chocobos and ride up to a cottage near Mt. Colts. Somepony informed me that there's a good chance we'll run into my dear sister there, and we could use all the help we could get, frankly."

"All right, all right, just...somepony get me some coffee. Ah'm not a mornin' pony," groaned Applebloom, eyes half-lidded and face drooping.

"Uhm, Princess Celestia? What was your sister like, anyway?" inquired Twilight. "I had heard a little about her, but I figured you would know better than anypony."

Celestia frowned. "Luna was such a naïve little filly when we were growing up. It was rather endearing; I could tell her just about any story and she'd believe me. We were very close. One day, however, our father, the king, took deathly ill. Even with as ill as he was, he continued to overwork himself with his royal political duties. Rumors began circulating of a coronation to replace him. My sister was having none of it. She reasoned that the only way somepony could help their subjects is to become strong enough to fight on his or her own merit. Luna left one night to become stronger, vowing that someday we would reunite and that she would use her training to better serve Canterlot." Celestia took a deep, solemn breath before continuing. "I'm not proud of it, but I changed that day. I could not take the separation from my sister compounded with the pressure of my new position. It's been far too long, and I will stop at nothing to see her beautiful face once more."

Applebloom had gone into the other room while Celestia was telling her story. The sounds of guzzling could be heard, followed by a pot slamming onto the counter. Applebloom walked back into the room with her traveling companions, eyes wide and twitching. "All right, let's go! Ah feel like Ah could run a mareathon!"

Twilight and Celestia arose from the table, and they exited the inn, heading for the Chocobo stables. Celestia bade the others wait outside while she paid for their Chocobo. Applebloom continued to twitch, making Twilight very uncomfortable. "Um, Applebloom?" she asked nervously. "What exactly did you drink in there?"

"Oh, me? Nothing much. Just a whole pot o'Mareabica coffee. Lemme tell ya, they got some niiiice stuff in there-"

Twilight stuck a hoof in the hyperactive mare's mouth. "Okay, I get the picture. You'll stunt your growth, you know."

Applebloom glowered at Twilight. "Ah'm not a filly, dangit! Why does everypony treat me like one?!"

"Oh! No, I didn't mean it like that!" Twilight replied hastily. "I just meant I don't think drinking that much coffee is good for you."

Before Applebloom could respond, three Chocobos trotted out of the stables, with Celestia riding the lead one. "Mount up, girls!" she commanded. "We have quite a bit of ground to cover, so we'd better get going!"

With the trio aboard their mounts, they left Canterlot City and headed north.

Sure enough, at the foothills of Mt. Colts there stood a solitary cottage. Their Chocobos dutifully returned to the stables from whence they came upon being dismounted, and Celestia walked up to the door and knocked. The door nudged slightly, indicating it had already been open. Celestia glanced back at Applebloom, who simply shrugged.

Celestia pushed the door open and led them all inside. The cottage was dark and empty. As they entered the cottage, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Celestia glanced over to the table near the entrance. There was a lone cactus in a pot with a beautiful, fragrant flower blooming atop its stalk. The flower seemed to be glowing with an almost ethereal light. Celestia gasped. "That flower...that's her favorite." She rushed through the cottage, examining the various bric-a-brac displayed. "This, that...even her favorite tea. She had to have been here recently! My sister, it truly is you!"

Twilight looked around. "But if she was here recently, where could she have gone? That tea smells fresh. She must have left in a hurry."

Celestia sighed. "Yeah, she probably did. With no leads on where she's gone, I guess we should continue through Mt. Colts. We don't have the time for a wild goose chase." As she turned to exit the cottage, Celestia took one last look around. "Luna...where could you be?"

Mt. Colts was the smallest of the peaks in the mountain range bounding Canterlot to the north. It functioned as a pass through the range, but few ponies used it. There wasn't much on the other side of the mountain worth seeing, and the mountain itself didn't grant many picturesque vistas. In fact, it was little more than an ugly series of cliff faces, and the taller mountains on either side narrowed the view considerably. Regardless, it was the only way to reach the New Lunar Republic's current hideout, so Twilight, Celestia, and Applebloom ventured forth into the cave that marked the beginning of the pass.

The trio hadn't said much to each other since leaving the cottage. Twilight and Applebloom reasoned that Celestia was distraught over not being able to meet with her sister, so they didn't press the issue. In the silence, all they could hear was the wind blowing through the cave. With the twists and turns, the wind whistled and gusted, producing an almost eerie melody. Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that something about the situation didn't feel right, but she dismissed it as another case of remembering the mines of Neighshe.

As they exited the first cave, the path twisted around the edge of the mountain. In the distance, there seemed to be a silhouette of a pony, too indistinct to make out. Celestia squinted as the shadow seemed to disappear around the bend. "Luna...? Is that you?!" She broke into a gallop, forcing the other two to try to keep up.

Rounding the corner, Celestia stopped, causing Twilight to plow headfirst into her side. The two tumbled down the mountain into a heap at the bottom of the path. Applebloom rushed to the aid of the two ponies, who were beginning to pick themselves up. Celestia began to dust herself off. "My, Twilight, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were very eager to get to know me better," she said, causing Twilight to turn scarlet.

"N-no! I mean, what I mean to ask is...why'd you stop?" Twilight replied hastily, trying to cover her face with her hooves.

Celestia looked around. "That pony, that had to have been Luna! When I rounded the corner, though, I didn't see anything. Tell me, you saw her too, right?!" Twilight and Applebloom nodded in response. "Where did that pony go?!"

Applebloom sighed. "Ah don't know, but Ah'd like to keep movin'. We're not quite through the mountain yet." She pointed towards a cave opening ahead. "That should be the last cave in the pass. We should be at the NLR hideout soon."

Before they could reach the tunnel, however, a green mare jumped in front of them from seemingly nowhere and blocked their path. She wore a red headband and a derisive smirk. "Who are you, more of Luna's precious rebels?"

Celestia grew indignant. "You know my sister?! What have you done to her, you fiend?!"

The mare simply shrugged. "I didn't do anything. She left after she learned of Master Greymane's passing. I am Greymane's daughter, Banner, and all of Equestria shall know the fury of my iron hoof!"

With no further warning, Banner adopted a martial arts stance, taunting the three to attack. Celestia grew enraged, charging headlong at the green pony. "Give me back my sister, you uncouth wretch!"

Banner simply sidestepped her reckless charge, bucking her hard in the stomach. Celestia collapsed to the ground and began to writhe in pain, prompting Twilight to gasp and run to her side to soothe her wounds with magic. Banner turned to Applebloom. "You're next, Blank Flank. I'm gonna grind you all up and spit out the remains, then I'm gonna do the same for your friends at your stupid hideout!"

Applebloom nervously readied herself to fight, pulling out her repeating crossbow. She hesitantly loaded some bolts, but was unsure whether she should fire. Nopony moved for a few seconds. Suddenly, Banner started rushing impossibly fast towards Applebloom. Agh! She's too fast! was the only thing she had time to think before she was headbutted to the ground. Banner smirked, then kissed her hoof and closed her eyes. She raised her hoof, then proceeded to bring it down to strike Applebloom.

"HALT, VILLAIN! STAY THINE HOOF!" An extraordinarily loud shout pierced the scene, causing Banner to hesitate. Before she could locate the source of the shout, a dark-blue coated mare kicked her square in the jaw with her powerful legs. The mare stood between Banner and the trio protectively.

Banner spit out some blood, then glowered at her adversary. "Luna! So nice of you to show up. Now I can take care of all of you at once."

Luna remained unfazed. "Why hast thou gone against Greymane's wishes?! You were to be her heir!"

"Don't give me that hogwash! You know as well as I do Master Greymane was grooming you to inherit her secret technique! She chose YOU over her own flesh and blood!" Banner began charging up energy in her forelegs.

"Nay, 'twas not so! She truly wished for thee to inherit the spirit of the dojo, Master Banner!"

"SHUT UP! This is what I think of you and all your stupid friends!" With that, Banner unleashed the energy she was gathering, unleashing a withering torrent of wind that blew back the other three into a heap behind her.

Luna braced herself, barely able to withstand the sheer force Banner exerted. "Nay...she is beyond saving, and we must protect our friends. Master Greymane! Please forgive us for what we are about to do!"

Banner smirked. "What can you possibly do?! I will enjoy pounding you pathetic ponies into a pulp!" She raised a hoof, taunting Luna. "Come now, let's see what you've got!"

Luna merely took a deep breath, concentrating. When her eyes reopened, they were full of focused purpose. She rushed to Banner so quickly, the latter could not even register movement. "TEITETSU!" bellowed Luna, proceeding to pummel Banner with a flurry of rapid hoofbeats.

Banner staggered backwards, barely clinging to consciousness. "I-inconceivable! To think you had already progressed so far in your training...LUNAAAA!" she screamed before collapsing to the ground.

Luna calmed herself, then stood over her fallen opponent. "That word...We do not think it means what you think it means."

"Luna! Sister! Is it truly you?!" exclaimed Celestia, barely able to stand.

Luna gasped and turned around. "Celestia?! We did not realize you were here!"

Luna ran to her sister's side, and they embraced each other tearfully. "Sister! It has been so long! Too long! We were going to return to Canterlot soon to see thine princessdom once more!" Luna exclaimed.

Celestia tousled her younger sister's mane. "Our princessdom, Luna. It's your home, too. Oh, how I have missed you these many years. You've become so strong...so much stronger than me."

Luna broke off the embrace. "What brings you out here, anyway? Are you all journeying to the New Lunar Republic hideout?" The group nodded. "Well then, allow us to accompany thee! We shall act as thine divine hoof, punishing evildoers and righting wrongs-"

Celestia laughed. "Still as idealistic as ever, aren't you? It's good to have you back."

Luna's face wore a flustered pout. "A-ah?! What's wrong with that?!"

The other three enjoyed a good laugh while Luna fumed. Something was still bothering Applebloom, however.

"What's wrong, Applebloom?" Twilight asked, noticing the treasure hunter's pained expression.

"We need to hurry, everypony. Did you hear what that pony said?! The Empire must know where the hideout is!" Applebloom replied.

Nodding grimly, Celestia led the group through the final pass. The hideout awaited just across from the pass, on the other side of the mountain range. What they would find when they got there, nopony knew.

Author's Note

Yeah, I'm a slow writer. I took a few "creative liberties" here and I'm not sure how well they paid off, but I hope it proves more interesting than a straight rewrite of the plot. Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapters thus far.

Chapter 3: Martial Law

The New Lunar Republic's secret hideout was fairly unassuming. A cave was cut into the side of a mountain with no external features to distinguish it from any other cave. Were it not for the occasional pony entering or exiting, a random passerby might not even realize there was anything there. As the group approached the cave entrance, Applebloom held up a hoof, motioning for the others to stop.

"Ah gotta say the code phrase before we go in, or they'll attack us," she informed the others. Turning to the cave entrance, she raised her voice to an ostentatious shout. "Hey! It's me, Applebloom! 'The moon has risen once more!'"

A pony stuck his head out, a sour grimace emblazoned on his face. "Do you have to use that obnoxious tone every single time you say the pass phrase? We know who you are, you know." Heaving a weary sigh, he motioned for them to follow. "We'd received word that you would be heading this way from our contacts in Neighshe. Mayor Mare has been quite eager to speak with you, Princess Celestia."

Celestia nodded. "The time to lay our allegiances bare has come, and I welcome the opportunity. I refuse to let the Empire do any more business with my subjects."

As they were led through the hideout, Twilight took stock of her surroundings. With little space and materials, the interior of the hideout was sparsely decorated, maintaining only a barely functional level of decor. Scant few tables and beds lined various walls, and a couple of bookshelves stood in a corner. Most of the rest of the space was occupied by barrels and crates of various supplies needed for daily operations within the base. Twilight noted that there only seemed to be a few ponies, and she idly wondered how they kept a resistance movement running on such a skeleton crew.

The stallion brought them to an improvised office within the cave. A businesslike mare was going over reports at her desk with a look of consternation. As the group approached, she looked up from her papers and smiled. "Oh, you've finally arrived! We can finally get the operation underway." She stood up from her desk and walked over to the group, shaking each pony's hoof in turn. "Celestia and Applebloom, I have been expecting you. Allow me to introduce myself to your traveling companions. My name is Mayor Mare, and I am the acting leader of the New Lunar Republic resistance movement," she said, bowing to Twilight and Luna.

Luna bowed in response. "Well met, noble Mayor Mare! Thou may call us Luna, royal sister of Celestia."

Mayor Mare jumped back in surprise. "Luna?! THE Luna?! You've been gone for so long!"

Celestia nodded. "Indeed she has. In fact, we proposed the name of the movement in your honor, dear sister. It was your memory I wished to honor, as the path I have walked since you left has not been truly noble." Celestia averted her gaze from Luna shamefully.

Luna faced her sister indignantly. "We care not for whether thou hast lived nobly. Thou art our sister, and we are flattered for the immense honor. Now, please, stop averting your eyes! We did not reunite to wallow in the misery of our past selves!"

Celestia smiled warmly. "You always did have your head screwed on a little tighter, even if you don't really understand some things yet. I'm so glad to have you back, Luna."

Mayor Mare pushed up her spectacles on the bridge of her nose. "Yes, and what is your name, if I may inquire?"

Twilight looked at the others nervously before responding. "My name is Twilight Sparkle."

Mayor Mare nodded pensively. "I recall the Empire making a huge ruckus about somepony with that name recently. Something about a mare that can talk with Espers. I presume you are her?"

Twilight fidgeted a bit. "I-I guess so? I don't remember anything-"

"Hey! She doesn't remember that!" Applebloom interrupted forcefully. "She was under the influence of the Demon Tiara, and the Empire ordered her to talk with that Esper thing at Neighshe!"

Twilight was taken aback by Applebloom's intervention. They had all traveled so far just to speak with the New Lunar Republic, yet Applebloom still seemed to be protecting her from something.

Mayor Mare sighed. "The Empire was using you, Twilight Sparkle. I'm sure this comes as no shock, but they wish to control the power of that Esper."

Twilight bore a pained expression as she replied. "So I'm told. And I'm also told that I'm supposedly the only one who can talk to the Espers. But-but you guys want to use the Esper's power to defeat the Empire! How is that any different?!"

Mayor Mare took her glasses off and massaged her temples as she continued. "Twilight, did nopony tell you how I came to be the leader of the New Lunar Republic? Why my name is 'Mayor Mare' instead of something else entirely? I hail from the southern continent, where the Imperial capital of Stalliongrad resides. The Empire has forced their way into every town on the continent and imposed military rule. I was the mayor of one of those towns, displaced by the military incursion." She slammed her desk in frustration. "They're not stopping there, Ms. Sparkle. They won't stop. They want control of all of Equestria. There is no possible way we can defeat that large of a force by ourselves. We need the Esper. We need you, Twilight."

Twilight began backing into a corner, knees buckling from the pressure. "Why does everypony want me to fight?! I don't even remember who I am! This is too much. It's not fair!" As she began to sniffle, Celestia walked over to console her.

Celestia looked up to Mayor Mare. "I know we are desperate for assistance, but this is too much for the girl to take in at once. Please, have some compassion for her situation. She hasn't yet come to terms with all that has happened."

Mayor Mare began to walk out of the room. "We don't have any time. I will not force you to make any decision, Ms. Twilight. If you truly do not wish to fight, you are completely within your right to abstain from our conflict. I implore you, however, to stay with us at least one night and talk with everypony about what has happened. Our struggle is not mere bloodlust nor thirst for power."

Twilight sighed. "Okay. I suppose I can agree to that much." She picked herself up and began to walk to her designated room. "I'll stay here another night and talk with everypony. You've stuck with me this far."

Twilight had been tossing and turning for a couple of hours. She eventually decided there was no way she was going to get any sleep until she resolved this once and for all. Climbing out of bed, she noticed Applebloom leaning against the door frame.

"Finally awake, are ya?" Applebloom smirked at Twilight.

Twilight groaned. "Didn't really get any sleep at all, but yeah, I'm awake. I suppose you'd be a good first pony to talk to. What's going on here and why should I involve myself?"

Applebloom stared at Twilight sternly. "Miss Twilight, Ah ain't gonna mince words here. It's rough out there. Ah'm one of the NLR's scouts, and Ah've been to the occupied towns. It ain't a pretty sight. The Empire has everypony completely under grip, and they won't think twice about beatin' a random civilian for kicks."

Twilight shivered. "Isn't there anything you can do without my help?"

Applebloom sighed. "Not really. There's too many o'them, and not enough of us. Plus, we don't have any o'their fancy-shmancey Magitek armors. We're lucky we were able to deal with the two we saw before."

Twilight frowned. "So that's all I am? A tool of war? You need me to stand up to their Magitek armors, and then once that's done you'll discard me?"

Applebloom slapped Twilight. "Ah don't wanna have to make a habit o'that, but you gotta stop sayin' that. We are yer friends, no matter what happens. Ah promised Ah'd protect you, and Celestia has taken quite a likin' to ya. If you decide not to fight, it'll hurt us, but we're not so hard up we need t'force somepony to join us against their will."

Twilight nodded and began to walk away. "Friends? Are they truly my friends?" She wandered through the hideout, stopping at their makeshift bar. Celestia was sitting at one of the tables, laughing raucously. "Princess...?"

Celestia looked around and noticed Twilight, then continued laughing boisterously. She tapped the seat next to her. "Come, sit down, my subject! Why the long face?!"

Twilight sat next to Celestia, blushing slightly at the unusually forward actions of the Princess. I guess some habits die hard, she thought to herself. "Princess Celestia, I don't know what I should do. Is there anything you can tell me?"

Celestia guzzled a shot of whiskey before replying. "Think of it like this, Twilight. Friends help their friends. I would do anything to help you, and I trust that you would do the same for me. Is there really anypony in the Empire you can think of who gives a damn about you? They're the ones who simply want to use you as a weapon. They don't want friends. They only think of themselves, and I just think that's downright awful. Wouldn't you agree, my faithful friend?" she concluded with a heavy pat on Twilight's back.

Twilight grunted from the impact, but the words rang true. What had the Empire ever done for her or anypony else? She felt she was beginning to see things more clearly, but there was still one more pony she wanted to talk to. Twilight thanked Celestia, who promptly returned to laughing inanely about seemingly nothing, and went to seek out Luna.

Luna was punching the walls in a back room with her forehooves, clearly in the midst of some form of training. Seeing Twilight approach, she stopped for a bit and wiped her brow. "Twilight Sparkle, did you come to join us in our regimen? It is always nice to have a sparring partner!"

"Oh, no, nothing like that!" Twilight replied sheepishly. She wondered if she'd even survive two minutes sparring with Luna. "No, I wanted to ask you something. What are you doing here? You weren't really even part of the resistance movement, despite it being named after you, were you?"

Luna thought for a moment. "What you say is true, Twilight, but our reasons for assisting in the rebellion are twofold. First, we implicitly trust and support our sister. Celestia has always put her duties to her subjects before even her own health, as much as it pains me to see her get like...well, that. We trained specifically to assist our home and our sister in any way we can."

Twilight nodded. "What's the other reason?"

Luna scowled, her speech losing its customary formality. "The Empire has taken ponies from me that I loved. Friends, family, and even Banner. I cannot forgive them for this. I cannot let them destroy any more lives in the name of their power-hungry ambitions." She punched the wall fiercely with her forehoof, driving the point home.

Twilight nodded. "I think I understand. Thank you, Luna."

Leaving the mare to her training, Twilight walked back to Mayor Mare's office. The mayor looked up at Twilight expectantly. "Have you come to a decision? Will you fight for us, knowing full well what we stand for and what we could lose should we fail?"

Twilight took a deep breath. "Mayor Mare, I will fight for the New Lunar Republic. I will speak to the Esper."

Mayor Mare smiled. "I'm very relieved to hear you say that, Miss Twilight."

"But...I'm scared-"

"Twilight. We're all scared. The reality of war is that any given day, one of us might not live to see our family at the end. But we do not face the Empire alone. We all look out for each other." Twilight nodded resolutely as Mayor Mare continued. "All right. We have much to discuss. Let's gather everypony together."

The meeting hall was little more than a long table hastily set up in the common area of the hideout. The scant few ponies in the base were gathered around the long table, awaiting whatever Mayor Mare planned to discuss. Mayor Mare straightened her papers in front of her, then began the meeting. "Greetings, everypony. Let me start by saying what's on all our minds. The Empire has Magitek armor, which means they've somehow harnessed the power of magic. Our scouts have confirmed they are using a laboratory in Stalliongrad to develop their power source, but what the actual power source is, we can only guess at."

Applebloom spoke up. "Ah've been snoopin' around towns, and rumor is that they've found somethin' ancient. Maybe they found some dead Espers?"

"Are you saying there's some relationship between Espers and Magitek?" Twilight asked, confused.

Mayor Mare pursed her lips grimly for a few seconds before responding. "Well, we have no direct evidence that that's specifically what they're using, but we do have some anecdotal evidence: the records of the War of Chaos."

Everypony else in the room save for Twilight gasped. Celestia slammed the table with her hoof. "You can't be serious! That's only an old pony's tale!"

Applebloom shook her head. "Hold on there, Ah remember mah granny tellin' me stories about magical machines. She seemed pretty convinced that this was once a real thing."

Mayor Mare nodded. "We don't really have any direct evidence, only the stories. However, legends tend to be based on fact, and the legends say that unicorns can wield immense powers of destruction by focusing the energies of the Espers themselves. The only one we know for sure that has survived contact with the Esper in Neighshe is Miss Twilight here. We had received reports that she had communicated somehow with the Esper. Twilight has agreed to help us all, and our next move should be to head towards Neighshe and see if we can get Twilight to ask for the Esper's help."

Celestia sighed heavily. "There will be great risk. We shall have to accompany Twilight and ensure her safety."

Applebloom was rubbing Twilight's shoulder comfortingly. "Twi, are you sure ya wanna go through with this?"

Twilight nodded resolutely. "I've made up my mind. I want to help-!"

"Mayor...Mare! Somepony!" A weak shout was ringing from the entrance of the hideout. The gathered ponies rushed to see the source of the commotion, a wounded messenger from Canterlot City. "C-Canterlot City...the Empire has occupied it!" He coughed weakly before continuing. "They know...where the hideout is. They're marching here...there's no time!"

Mayor Mare gasped. "No! They found us! Why those-"

"It's okay. We have somepony quite well-suited to the task. Isn't that right, Applebloom?" Celestia prodded.

Applebloom smirked. Finally, some action! "Ah'm on it! Ah'll sneak into Canterlot City and slow 'em down! You can count on me!"

Applebloom rushed out the opening and made for Canterlot, leaving the others to discuss an alternate plan. Luna spoke up first. "It seems we must make plans for a different approach to Neighshe. The Lete River flows from behind thine hideout to a short ways south of Neighshe. If thou hast a raft, we could ride the rapids to Neighshe!"

Mayor Mare turned to one of the staff ponies. "You there! Do we still have the raft in the back room?"

The pony nervously saluted. "Y-yes, ma'am! We can have it prepped for you in a few minutes!"

The staff ponies scrambled to set up the raft while the group discussed the situation further.

It had been a couple of days since the meeting with the New Lunar Republic. Applebloom had successfully sown chaos in the ranks of the Imperial occupying force at Canterlot City, raiding their supplies and feeding them misinformation. They were beginning to grow suspicious of her, however, and Applebloom knew it was only a matter of time before she was caught. She needed to find a way to escape and meet up with everypony in Neighshe.

She ducked into the nearby shop to hide from the patrolling guards. Inside, there was a merchant pony chatting up the store owner. Applebloom decided to eavesdrop on their conversation, hoping to discover a way to escape. "...So even though the streets are locked down, they're letting me through," the merchant pony finished.

Applebloom's ears perked. Letting her through? she repeated in her head. If the merchant pony was being allowed through the military checkpoints, that could present just the opportunity she needed. The store owner interrupted her thoughts with his reply. "I guess it pays to be in service to the richest pony in town, eh? Anyway, here's your next order of hard cider. You're the only one who'll do business with me right now!"

The merchant pony guffawed. "Nopony would be insane enough to cross those guards. Well, I'll probably be back later to fill another order!" The merchant pony turned to leave, prompting Applebloom to hide behind the corner. As the pony rounded the corner to leave, Applebloom struck her in the back of the head with her hoof, causing her to fall unconscious.

"Sorry about that, but Ah need to leave now!" Applebloom said to nopony in particular as she dragged the limp pony into a side room. The merchant's bag was filled with all manner of spray dyes and clothes. Applebloom took a moment to spritz her coat and mane to look like the merchant's, then donned some clothes to complete the illusion. Grabbing the cider, she exited into the street.

The soldiers were on high alert, and very few citizens dared leave their homes. A soldier in Magitek armor blocked access to the entrance of the rich pony's home, and all exits from the city seemed to be flanked by several guards. Applebloom cursed under her breath at her luck. If she was going to have any chance at escaping, she'd have to press her luck in the mansion.

When she approached the checkpoint, the soldier in the armor stared down at her. "Back again so soon?"

"Yeah. Ah suppose he really loves his cider, eh?" Applebloom replied casually.

The guard continued watching her, unblinking. "Is it just me, or did your voice change a bit since last you came through here?"

"Uh, nope! Ah'm just a little tipsy and mah country upbringin's shinin' through," Applebloom replied hastily, punctuating her sentence with a nervous chuckle.

The guard shrugged and stepped aside, allowing Applebloom through. She breathed a sigh of relief and entered the sprawling mansion before her. The inside was as richly decorated as might be expected of the wealthiest pony in town. There were expensive suits of decorative armor, bookshelves in many rooms, and a few art gallery portraits adorning the walls. Applebloom brought the cider to the mansion's owner on the second floor, where he was fidgeting in his chair. "Oh, thank you for fetching me another round. I find it hard to live with myself without something to drink."

"Why? What's the matter?" Applebloom prodded.

The stallion sighed. "I sold out. I gave those loathsome Imperials money and weapons in exchange for them granting me protection and allowing me passage wherever they have occupied. I did not realize that I would be bringing disaster to my very hometown as a result. I don't deserve to look anypony in the eyes here anymore."

Applebloom remained silent for a short while, considering her words carefully. "Hey, do ya wish for peace to return to the world?"

"Yes, and I would help anypony that could promise such."

"If what ya say is true, Ah'd like to enlist yer help. Is there any way Ah can get outta the city without the soldiers gettin' on mah rump?"

The stallion peered at Applebloom quizzically. "Well...yes, there is. I've always kept a secret passage that leads through my basement in case of emergency, but I think the soldiers are using it for an interrogation right now."

"All right. Ah'm gonna borrow yer bathroom and wash this disgusting dye off me, then Ah'm gonna get the hay outta here. Ah promise Ah will help bring peace for yer sake. Until then, try t'hang on."

Applebloom ducked into the adjacent bathroom and took a quick shower. Looking her usual self once more, she emerged, winking at the bewildered stallion. She then followed his shaky hoof to the corner of the room, behind a rather ornate bookcase. As she approached the rear of the room, she felt a draft and heard wind blowing from below. Behind the bookcase was a very well-hidden staircase, which she promptly descended.

The basement was rather dilapidated and bare, but it stretched much further than Applebloom could have imagined. She wondered if the mansion's original owner must have run a smuggling operation underneath the house, because she'd never seen such a large network of passages. Off in the distance, she could faintly make out the sound of ponies arguing. Remembering what the stallion had mentioned about an interrogation, Applebloom became curious and followed the sound to a lone room with a small viewing port on the door. Peering through the door, she could make out two guards roughing up a mare with a light blue coat and a now unkempt mane with blue and white streaks. Applebloom gasped, recognizing who the guards were 'interrogating.' "Th-that's one o'the Empire's generals! What the hay's she doing here?!" Applebloom whispered to herself.

The guards stepped back briefly, the mare refusing to soften her glare. One of the guards sneered at her. "Strong will you have, but it matters not. This is what happens to anypony who betrays Emperor Gilda. Such a pity to see the once great General Trixie fallen from grace." Trixie spat at the guard in reply, prompting him to growl in rage. "Why you-! You deserve nothing short of death for your insolence!"

"Don't make me laugh, you pitiful little peasant! It was not Trixie who used poison to do her dirty work! If the Emperor truly allowed such a thing to occur, then it is the Emperor who has no honor!"

The guard punched Trixie hard in her body, causing her to double over onto the ground. "Silence! I will not hear any more of your traitorous words. Your execution is scheduled for tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to seeing you put in your place." He turned to the other guard. "Your shift begins now. Make absolutely sure she does not escape."

The other, clearly younger, guard saluted his superior. "Yes, sir! You need not worry, sir! I could stay awake for days if need be!"

As the guard turned to leave, Applebloom scampered around the corner to hide, peering around to ensure she was in the clear. The guard exited somewhere further down the hall, meaning Applebloom was safe for the moment. As she walked back to the door, she heard the unmistakable sound of snoring. "Sheesh, what an incompetent outfit they're running," she muttered to herself as she picked the lock to the door. Sure enough, the guard was leaned back in his chair and snoring so loudly it was painful to listen to. Trixie glanced up at Applebloom quizzically while the latter undid her chains.

Standing up, Trixie glared at Applebloom. "What the hell do you want with The Great and Powerful Trixie, disheveled hick?"

Applebloom pouted. "Is that any way to treat the pony who just freed ya? Ah'm no hick! Ah'm a treasure hunter from the New Lunar Republic, and from the looks of things, you could do with our protection!"

Trixie scoffed. "Why would Trixie need your help? All you seem capable of doing is getting my mane dirty."

Applebloom slapped Trixie. "Okay, cut that crap out. If we're gonna travel, we gotta cooperate, and that third pony stuff is gonna get old really fast. Mah name's Applebloom, and like it or not, Ah'm the one that saved you from certain death tomorrow. If ya come with me, Ah can guarantee yer safety."

Trixie grumbled under her breath, clutching her cheek where Applebloom had stung it earlier. "Fine. I'll go along with you for now. They will stop at nothing to ensure I perish, Applebloom. Can you truly back up your words?"

"We won't find out hangin' around here. Ah gotta meet up with the others in Neighshe."

"Neighshe?! Discord himself is leading a force there to capture the Esper they found in the mines after he finishes with the siege of Sweet Apple Acres!"

Applebloom gasped. "Aw horseapples! We don't have much time then!"

Trixie nodded gravely. "All right then. Follow me, Miss Applebloom. I know the way out."

Trixie guided Applebloom through the labyrinthine twists and turns of the basement passages. It would have taken Applebloom hours to explore this herself, she noted. Trixie's help was already beginning to pay off, but she was wondering about her other abilities. "Hey, Trixie? You were one of the Empire's top generals, right?"

Trixie smirked. "Be patient, little hayseed. You shall bear witness to the Great and Powerful Trixie's prowess soon enough." She pointed up a flight of stairs with her hoof. "Up there is the exit. We need to hurry to the caves; if I know Discord, he's already finished off Sweet Apple Acres and has mobilized his forces."

Applebloom nodded. The door led outside of Canterlot City's outer walls, and no guards could see into the area they had emerged from. She breathed a sigh of relief. They would be safe at least until reaching Canterlot Cave.

They had reached the caves almost suspiciously without incident. Applebloom knew better than to trust a long run of good fortune. She'd had a feeling for a while that they might be walking into some sort of trap, but they had to press forward. The mouth of the cave stood before them, and Applebloom steeled her nerves before she set foot inside. Trixie, on the other hoof, swaggered inside as if shrugging off all of Applebloom's concerns as merely trivial. Pouting as fully as her cheeks would permit, Applebloom fell in behind Trixie.

The cave didn't particularly look any different from before. As they walked along, Applebloom gazed around at the rock formations that encompassed the cave. The stalactite formations were rather breathtaking, she had to admit. She'd completely overlooked the scenery her first few times through the cave, and now she couldn't stop taking it in.

Applebloom opened her mouth to comment about one of the formations in particular when the ground began to rumble. Applebloom and Trixie lost their balance and both tumbled to the ground in a heap. Applebloom scrambled to her hooves, looking around for the source of the quake. "What the hay was that?!" she exclaimed.

Trixie picked herself up nonchalantly and dusted herself off. "I warned you they would be sending their best after me. You'd best prepare yourself, Bloom. You're playing in the big leagues now."

Applebloom resented Trixie's condescending tone, but she had to admit she had never known anything that could rock Canterlot Cave this violently. What was going on?

Her unease began to compound itself as the rumbling intensified. Applebloom could swear she could hear mechanical grinding in-between the rumbles. Whatever was chasing them wasn't natural. Still, she resolved herself to remain stoic in front of Trixie. No self-respecting hero would allow herself to falter in the face of destiny, after all.

As they rounded the final bend, the light of the sun flooded in through the exit. Right on cue, a gigantic mechanical contraption tunneled through the rock and blocked their retreat. Applebloom immediately readied herself for battle, but Trixie hesitated and began hyperventilating. Applebloom turned to her in bewilderment. "Trixie?! What's wrong?! Ah thought ya were a Great and Powerful somethin'-or-other!"

Trixie pointed a trembling hoof at the front of the giant machine in front of them. "Wh-wh-WHEEL! GIANT WHEEL!" She immediately curled up on the ground in the fetal position, rocking back and forth.

Applebloom sighed. "Aw, fer the love of...must I do EVERYTHING myself?!" She tensed her body, waiting for whatever the machine in front of her would do, but it seemed to be staying still. Deciding now was better than never, she charged headlong at the armor, thrusting her dagger at its tough shell. The dagger merely clinked harmlessly off the mythril plating. "Ah dangit! How am Ah supposed t'do anything to this?!"

Trixie didn't answer. She continued to rock back and forth as the armor's front bay opened up, showcasing an array of missiles. The armor trained them on Trixie's prostrate form. Applebloom cursed as she dove towards Trixie, shoving her out of the way of the missiles prior to impact. The explosion singed her tail, but they were otherwise unscathed. "Trixie! Ah need yer help! Show me what you can do!" she demanded of the ex-general.

Trixie gulped, then nodded resolutely. She stood between Applebloom and the armor. "All right, watch and learn. Trixie didn't become a general by cowering under the weight of those infernal wheels." Her body was trembling in sharp contrast to her tough words, but she remained steadfast as the armor charged an electrical magic attack.

Applebloom gasped. "Trixie! Aren't ya gonna dodge or somethin'-"

"Stand back and watch, Hayseed! I will show you what magic can do!"

The electricity arced towards Trixie, who made no move to evade. Instead, she tilted her head so her horn bore the brunt of the shock. Her horn began to glow, then the electrical strike fizzled out. Trixie's horn started to glow more and more brightly, then she shot back an even stronger electrical attack that arced around the entirety of the machine's chassis. The strike seemed to overload its internal systems, as it began to explode in various places. It began firing missiles in random directions. Applebloom and Trixie took this as their cue to run past it and out the exit of the cave.

As they escaped through the cave mouth, the ceiling caved in on the armor within, crushing it. They heard a muffled explosion rock the ground, then silence. Applebloom whooped. "Boy howdy, that was incredible, Trixie! Ah didn't know ya could absorb magic with yer horn!"

Trixie blushed. "Well, Trixie didn't realize it was that easy to impress you. But let's not rest on our laurels yet. We still have to get to Neighshe."

Applebloom nodded happily. Neighshe still needed them, but for the time being, she could rest easy in the knowledge that friendship had saved them both from certain doom. She couldn't wait to tell everypony about all that had happened.

Together, they set off towards the north, each a little more at ease with their chosen company.

Author's Note

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! Between my high school reunion, my birthday, and any number of painful headaches, I simply haven't had the time nor energy to write much this past weekend. Rest assured though, I haven't quit, and I don't plan to anytime soon. I hope you enjoyed it so far!

Chapter 4: Siege

"This is the raft? Will this even get us all the way to Neighshe?"

"You're right to be concerned, Celestia. I'm afraid this is the best we could do, though." Mayor Mare sighed as they looked over the flimsy wooden raft. It had been assembled hastily from the assorted miscellaneous objects left in the base and effectively consisted of little more than a loosely tied layer of flotsam. It didn't look like it could hold much, despite the assurances of the ponies that had thrown it together. "We'll just have to risk it. We don't have any other way to get across the Lete."

Luna glanced over the cliff face that marked the rear exit to the New Lunar Republic hideout. The rush of water below confirmed the Lete River's raw power. There was every chance they'd be dashed on the rocks below when they jumped off, but there was little choice left. "Are we ready? This shall be a trial no matter how long we delay."

Celestia nodded. "Might as well get it over with. Are you ready, Twilight?"

Twilight swallowed nervously before putting on a strained smile. "Yep! Let's go to Neighshe!"

The four of them carried the raft to the cliff's edge, pausing to stare at the water below. The harsh rapids surged onward, seemingly ready to crush any ponies heedless of the dangers it presented. Mayor Mare turned to the others. "We're going to jump off and land on the raft in the water. On the count of three! One...two...THREE!"

The ponies jumped off the cliff, holding the raft beneath them. The raft plunged into the water, landing with a solid, sickening thwack, which disoriented the occupants. It held together somehow, though, and they were off, careening down the swift waters towards Neighshe. The raft, buffeted by the raging waters, rocked back and forth violently, prompting its riders to hold on to its edges tightly lest they be cast overboard. As they rounded the first bend, a small flock of pterodons took flight at the intrusion. Celestia cursed under her breath. "Oh, give us a break! Hold on, everypony!"

Luna stood up near the front of the raft with her forelegs bent together. Between her hooves, a brilliant sphere of energy began to coalesce. She turned her head up to stare resolutely towards the approaching flock, then screamed, "HADOUKEN!" She thrust her hooves forward, expelling a solid white beam towards the lead pterodon. It connected, scorching the pterodon and causing it to fall off into the water.

The remainder of the flock began to lapse into disarray. They began diving erratically towards the raft, each time met with an emphatic "HADOUKEN!" from Luna. After a while, they dispersed into the distance, deciding their turf was no longer worth protecting. Luna stood triumphantly at the head of the raft and looked at her companions. "Fear not! We shall keep thee safe!"

As the raft continued forward along the tortuous river, Luna blasted the various creatures that sought to attack them. Celestia was shocked at Luna's raw strength, resolving herself to ask about it further when they weren't possibly hurtling headlong towards a watery doom. She caught herself. "Watery doom?" Something about the phrase triggered a memory about the Lete River, and her expression grew anxious. "Everypony! Be careful! There's something in the water!"

Twilight glanced at her, worried. "Wh-what do you mean?! What's under the water?!"

"I'm so glad you asked that question, Ma'am!" a raspy, gurgling voice responded. The ponies on the raft searched frantically for the source, but there was nothing on the surface or in the sky. Celestia had a sinking feeling she knew the source, but he wasn't showing himself. "Oh come now, I just want to grab your attention!"

Twilight yelped as she felt something slimy and sticky begin pulling at her legs, trying to drag her off the raft. Celestia ran to Twilight's side, stabbing the tentacle that was creeping up the edge. The raspy voice screamed in indignant pain, forcing its owner to surface. What they beheld was not pleasant: a slick purple octopus with a single row of what appeared to be teeth contorted into a hedonistic grin. "Hey! Don't tease the octopus, kids! Ultros just wants a little touch!"

Twilight shuddered in revulsion. "You...you were feeling me up?! What a gross octopus!" Her horn began to glow, and she held her forehooves in front of her and blew a stream of fire towards Ultros, prompting him to yelp in pain.

"OWW! What are you tryin' to do, make gumbo outta me?! That's cold, sister!" Ultros fired a jet-black stream of ink at Twilight, temporarily blinding her. "Hey! What's black and purple and has read all over? YOUR FACE!"

Celestia groaned. "Great, we've been held up by the world's most perverse punslinger. Somepony wake me up from this dream."

Luna stood resolutely facing the cocky cephalopod. "Fear not, sister! It is our job to ensure everypony has a good dream! We shall protect thee!"

Before Celestia could object, Luna had leapt into the water, pounding her hooves away at the creature's soft head. As he retreated into the water, he dragged the hapless mare with him. Mayor Mare walked up to Celestia as they began to separate. "She really is a lively one, isn't she? Will she be okay?"

Celestia nodded. "I've never known my sister to be weak." Luna floated to the surface, buffeted by the currents. She was swept in a different direction from the raft, unable to reach the others. "Luna! We'll meet up in Neighshe! Please be careful!"

Luna yelled something in return, but it was lost to the raging waters. Celestia smiled to Twilight and Mayor Mare. "Don't worry. She'll be all right."

Luna opened her eyes slowly. The bright sun forced her to wince and shield them with her hooves. She was definitely separated from the others, but she had no idea where she was. Her body ached, and her pride was a touch wounded after being forced into an effective stalemate with a cheeky octopus. Rising tentatively to her hooves, she scanned her surroundings. There was a single house nearby, but little else in the way of civilization. Luna grimaced, surmising that she must have floated very far off-course. "Oh well. I suppose I should get going if I want to meet up with everypony in Neighshe," she said to nopony in particular.

As she approached the solitary house, she noticed a butter-hued pegasus with kind, demure eyes and a pink mane sitting near a well in front of the house. A small bunny was dutifully patrolling the area around her. It shook the stick it was carrying menacingly at Luna as she went to greet the mare. The pegasus' eyes widened, and she stared rigidly at the bunny, causing him to drop his stick in fear. "Angel, you know better than to threaten other ponies! You apologize right now!"

Angel reluctantly bowed in contrition to Luna. "My, what a strong will you have!" Luna remarked, clearly impressed. "Prithee, may we beseech thee for thine name?"

The pegasus shrunk back from Luna in response, squeaking meekly. "My name...my name is Fluttershy," she said, averting her gaze shamefully.

"Well-met, Miss Fluttershy! We would welcome thine company in our travels!"

"W-well...um, I suppose...that would be okay," Fluttershy squeaked.

Luna eyed Fluttershy in confusion. "We are afraid we do not understand. Do you have problems being around other ponies?"

Fluttershy averted her gaze once more. "Yeah...I have no problems talking with cute animals like Angel here, but I can't seem to bring myself to talk to most ponies."

Luna nodded sagely. "We understand. We would still welcome thine company, noble Fluttershy."

Fluttershy acknowledged Luna with a meek nod then scooped up Angel into her saddlebag. "W-we should....probably rest inside this house before we leave," Fluttershy squeaked. "The owner is a bit scary, but he lets people rest here."

As they entered the house, Luna spied a frazzled old stallion whose pupils darted every which way. He locked onto Luna and ran up to her. "You! You must be the clockmaker! That clock's been on the fritz, and you gotta fix it!" he said with an unhinged cadence.

Luna leapt back, startled, before responding. "Ah, n-no, we are not this clockmaker-"

"Then you must be the plumber! Got pipes leakin' everywhere!"

Luna groaned in mild exasperation. "Do we look like somepony that would dirty our hooves with leaky pipes?! You're off your gourd!"

If her objections were registering with the stallion, he wasn't acknowledging it. "Well, then, get out there and cut my grass! It's like 25 feet high!"

Enraged, Luna invoked her royal vocal training. "ENOUGH! WE ARE MERELY HERE TO SEEK RESPITE, NOT TO FIX THINE MESSES!"

Summoning strength even Luna could not seem to match, the stallion angrily shoved both of the mares outside, then shut and locked the door. He opened a small window in his door to berate them. "The last time I had a kid as obnoxious as you, I threw her butt onto the Veldt! Good day!"

Luna stood there, mouth agape. She turned to Fluttershy, her face contorted in a look of abject confusion. "Wh-what just happened...?!"

Fluttershy shrugged in response. "I did say he was weird..."

Luna sighed. "Well, there goes our lodgings for the night. Is there any other place nearby we could seek respite?"

Fluttershy pondered for a moment. "Well...there is Sweet Apple Acres a short ways to the south. They've always been hospitable to weary ponies. Maybe we could check there?"

"Well, then! To Sweet Apple Acres!"

Sweet Apple Acres encompassed a large expanse of verdant land. The oversized family that tended it farmed the land as a giant apple orchard to provide food for many of the world's towns. The family had garnered considerable political and economic influence in this manner, and Sweet Apple Castle had developed into a veritable fortress over the years as a result. The river that ran alongside the border of the orchard was the castle's main water supply and its primary barrier to entry. As Fluttershy and Luna approached the solitary bridge that crossed it, they noticed a large military encampment had been erected there.

Fluttershy squeaked fearfully. "I just passed through this area a week ago! When did all these scary tents and soldiers appear?!" She cowered behind a nearby wall, whimpering softly.

Luna joined Fluttershy behind the wall. "That is strange. Perhaps we can listen in on the soldiers and find out what is going on."

They watched the soldiers patrolling for a while. Eventually, two of the soldiers broke their routes and snuck off towards Luna and Fluttershy. One of them looked around to see if anypony was within earshot. Satisfied, he motioned for his compatriot to move closer and spoke in a hushed tone. "Hey...did you hear the news? They said General Zecora might be getting reassigned!"

The other soldier shuddered. "Seriously?! That'd leave Discord in charge, and that guy's just not right!"

"Not so loud! Do you want him to break your neck?! Look, all we can do is hope for the best and follow orders."

"You're right...I just wonder what's gonna happen around here."

Their conversation was cut short by the echoing post call from the company bugler. Several of the soldiers lined up at attention, with their commander giving them all a once-over. "Listen up, maggots! We have been ordered to participate in an assault on Sweet Apple Castle! You are all to follow me in formation posthaste! Move out!"

The group began marching past the bridge checkpoint. Fluttershy and Luna could do naught but watch helplessly.

"Enemy at the gates! Sound the alarm!"

Sweet Apple Castle was in an uproar. A good-sized Imperial force had surrounded their front gates and were proceeding to batter down the door. Sweet Apple Acres did not have the horsepower to repel this attack if things continued, and the castle guard had fallen into abject disarray.

As a scout ran through the halls repeating the dire warning, more and more of the castle's inhabitants joined in on the panicked frenzy. At this rate, they were liable to fall from within before the enemy even breached the walls. The orange pony decided it was time to reveal her power. She tipped her stetson, shifted the straw she was chewing on in her mouth, and marched stolidly towards the gate.

One of the scouts tried to stop her from leaving. "Miss Applejack! I'm afraid it's hopeless! There's too many of them! We're outnumbered!"

Applejack grinned. "Don't muddy the issue with yer fancy mathematics! Nopony invades mah home and gets away with it!" she responded in her cocksure drawl. "Listen, these guys ain't nothin' more than grunts. Cut off the head of the snake and the body dies. Y'all just cover me as I go after their commander!"

Her command elicited a cheer from the remaining guards, and they formed a small phalanx around her as they charged out of the front gate. Applejack pointed towards the commander threateningly, brandishing her katana from its sheath at her side. "Come on now, let's settle this ourselves! Ah'll show ya a thing or two about country hospitality!"

The commander growled. "You've got a lot of nerve, you stupid bumpkin. I'm going to enjoy cutting you down to size!"

The commander drew his sword and began to charge Applejack by himself. Applejack took a deep breath and shut her eyes, holding her katana in front of her. From Applejack's view, the commander and everything else around her seemed to slow to a crawl as she entered a heightened state of awareness. Her path was clear, and she knew her strike would ring true. Applejack opened her eyes and dashed forward blindingly fast, stopping only once she'd passed the commander. Satisfied, she stood up straight, sheathing her katana. The commander, instead of turning to face her, merely collapsed, unconscious. Applejack merely tilted her head back towards him. "Y'all ought to be thankful Ah hit 'im with the blunt edge. If Ah was fixin', Ah probably could make pony meat outta y'all. Go on, git."

The soldiers, in shock that their commander had been so handily defeated, tripped over each other as they ran in every direction trying to escape the farm pony. Applejack chuckled heartily, rallying her guardsponies to a raucous cheer. "Yeeeeeehaw! If ya can't stand the fire, get the heck outta the kitchen!"

It wasn't long before Luna and Fluttershy witnessed the remaining soldiers flooding back into the camp in a blind panic, their commander conspicuously absent. A pony with black and white stripes and a mane done up in a mohawk strolled out of the command tent. Fluttershy gasped at the sight of her. "That's a zebra!"

Luna nodded. "Indeed, 'tis. It appears that she is high up on their command hierarchy."

The zebra motioned for one of the soldiers to approach, then spoke in meter. "Why do you all move with such haste? What threat has left you so disgraced?"

The soldier paused to catch his breath and regain his composure before responding. "General Zecora, ma'am! Sweet Apple Acres has a champion in their ranks! She has dealt a solid blow to our commander, and she could easily dispatch the rest of us! What do we do?!"

Zecora nodded, then smiled sagely. "Fear not, my little pony troop. We'll wait until we can regroup. A stalling game is what they play? We'll stay and fight another day!"

"But Zecora! We are ready to lay our lives down for the Empire-"

"If what you say is really true, why not then see this battle through? There's no shame in your confession. Part of valor is discretion. We have not lost this castle yet. Now rest, my soldier. Do not sweat!"

The soldier's face noticeably softened as the tension left his body. "Yes, ma'am! Thank you, ma'am!" he said with relief before returning to his post.

Behind their corner, Luna nudged Fluttershy. "It seems this General Zecora is quite wise. If only they'd ditch that Discord brute and leave her in charge."

Fluttershy did not respond, as she noticed a carrier pigeon swooping from the sky. She became lost in a blissful flurry of "cute little birdies," as best Luna could piece together her rambling. The pigeon flew up to Zecora, dropping a letter in her hooves before perching nearby. Zecora's face quickly changed from curiosity to consternation. "The emperor decrees I go. Now Discord shall engage our foe."

Zecora walked into the command tent, making preparations to depart for the capital. Nearby, Discord had overheard Zecora talking to herself and was inwardly gleeful. "Geheheh, now I can finally have some fun around here. It's so boring playing by that stuffy zebra's rules all the time!"

Zecora poked her head out of the tent to provide a quick addendum. "Discord, your task is to conquer these lands. Your treachery better not foul these sands."

Discord grimaced, then responded in a mocking tone. "You needn't worry, you arrogant witch. I'll make sure your soldiers take over that ditch."

Zecora snorted, then walked past Luna and Fluttershy's hiding spot, exiting the camp. As soon as Zecora was well out of earshot, Discord dragged a soldier over towards the command tent. "You! Did you prepare the toxin like I requested?"

The soldier trembled under Discord's stare. "Y-yes, sir! But Zecora said-"

"'Zecora said,' 'Zecora said!'" Discord retorted sardonically. "Zecora's not here now! You will follow my orders or I'll see you hanged for treason!"

"But Discord, sir! Some of our soldiers are being held prisoner by the enemy! If we poison their water supply, the prisoners will die too!"

"That's none of your concern, you feckless grunt. They were stupid enough to get caught, and as far as I'm concerned, they can rot with the lot of those 'Sweet Apple' imbeciles!"

The soldier sighed and walked off to begin carrying out Discord's sinister plan. Fluttershy squeaked fearfully as Luna stood up indignantly. "We are sorry, Fluttershy, but the time has come to intervene. We cannot allow them to carry out their vile plot!"

Luna dragged Fluttershy out from their hiding place, then charged at Discord. "Thou fiend! What you propose is nothing short of genocide!"

Discord guffawed at the intrusion. "My, what is this? The younger Canterlot Sister together with a saccharine traveling companion, here to foil my master plan?" His tone noticeably darkened. "Someone stop this juvenile ride. I want to get off."

"Shut up! We will not allow thee to perpetrate these acts today!" Luna yelled as she lunged at Discord, belting him in the gut with her hoof.

"Yeowch! Such a brutish display! I suppose I'll have to deal with you later!"

Luna fumed, snorting fiercely. "Thou shalt desist!"

Discord snickered as he turned around to run away. "'Desist,' she says! Do I look like a desister? Wait...is that even a word?"

With that, Discord took off towards the Sweet Apple front. Luna and Fluttershy gave chase, but were soon stopped by a small unit of soldiers that had witnessed the exchange. Luna cursed under her breath as they paused to deal with the new threat.

"Miss Applejack! I have something to report!"

"Well, spit the chew outta yer mouth and let's hear it!"

"Our scouts have reported that the Imperial base is bustling with activity upriver. We believe they must be plotting something!"

Applejack scoffed, tipping her hat up. "It'll take more than a little sneaky river business to pull one over on this pony!"

The messenger nervously rubbed her hooves together. "Well, that's the thing. See, everypony around the castle has reported feeling ill recently except you. I think it's worth investigating."

Applejack's breath caught in her throat. "Everypony? Even the king? Even mah family?"

"Yes. Something's fishy around here, and we don't know what."

"Wait...they're doing things upriver, and now everypony's sick? Oh mah goodness...Ah haven't drank any of the water since yesterday! They must be poisoning the water! We gotta get everypony to stop drinkin' the water! Quick, to the king!"

Without missing a beat, both Applejack and the messenger charged through the halls of the castle. Already many of the guards lay in crumpled heaps scattered throughout the various rooms, never to awaken. Applejack hoped she wasn't too late to save at least somepony, but it wasn't looking good.

Applejack bucked open the double doors leading to the throne room. There, on the floor, was the king, barely conscious. His breaths were labored and his eyes heavily lidded. Applejack gasped, crestfallen. "No...Ah was too late! Yer Majesty, speak to me!"

The king opened his eyes slowly. "Applejack...is that you?"

"Ah'm here! Everything's gonna be okay!"

"Applejack...I'm done for. But I want you to know...your mother and father would be proud. You are the most...honorable and dependable pony...Sweet Apple Acres will ever know..."

"Save yer breath, Yer Majesty! We can still save ya!" Applejack desperately pleaded.

"Applejack, thank you...for all that you've done...Please...go be with your family." With his last words, the king's consciousness faded, and Applejack laid his head down for its eternal rest.

Applejack stood up and bolted out the door. "Mah family! Please, no! Somepony, anypony has to be alive!"

She burst into the room where her aunt and cousin were staying. On the floor lay the motionless body of Aunt Betty. Applejack sighed, certain she was too late to save Betty. Casting her gaze to the bed, she noticed somepony sleeping, and her heart sank. "No...Apple Fritter?" she said as she moved the covers. The stiff corpse of a filly fell out from the covers, landing on the ground with a sickening thud. Applejack fell to the ground, broken. She tilted her head up, screaming in despair at nopony in particular. "Why?! She was just a foal! Ah'm goin' to skin as many Imperials as Ah can, even if it kills me!" In a blind rage, she charged heedlessly out of the room, towards the front of the castle. If the Empire was going to take everything she'd ever loved, she'd make damn sure they paid for their sins.

Author's Note

This was a tough chapter to write because of the timing of a lot of life stuff. I got sick twice, lost access to my computer, helped teach my brother to drive, and started school myself. As such, portions of this chapter were written several days apart, and if it came off as disjointed as a result, I humbly apologize.

On the other hoof, writing Zecora's dialogue is positively addictive. I get to say the rhymes out loud, and writing lyrics is just plain fun to me.

Chapter 5: Letting Go

"Come on out, ya varmints! Ah'm gonna teach every one o'ya the meanin' of pain!"

Luna and Fluttershy looked for the source of the outburst. Near the entrance of the base, an orange earth pony wielding a katana and wearing a brown Stetson hat was engaging every soldier in sight. She seemed to be switching targets indiscriminately, attacking with blind rage rather than any calculated strategy. Luna tugged Fluttershy's hoof, dragging her along towards the pony. "Come, fair Fluttershy! Let us aid this mare!"

Fluttershy squeaked, but she did not resist. The two snuck up on the battle from behind the soldiers currently engaged. Luna stood up and knocked their helmets together in a move she remembered seeing from her favorite comic act, the Four Flunkies. The guards, concussed from the power of Luna's vicious assault, collapsed to the ground in a dazed heap. The orange pony tipped her hat and thanked them, then proceeded to call more soldiers to the battle.

Luna sighed. "Fluttershy, I think we are going to have to talk some sense into her if we are to get anywhere. I shall handle these guards. You try to say something to the pony!"

Fluttershy tried to protest, but it was too late. Luna had joined the fray, attempting to keep soldiers from approaching the pony with the hat. Fluttershy decided she had no choice and walked up to the pony, trying to get her attention. "Um...Miss Hat Pony?" she ventured weakly, but her inquiry was lost in the chaos of the battle. "Excuse me, Miss...?" Again, her voice was drowned out by the shouting. Fluttershy drew on reserves she didn't even know she had, exerting an impassioned shout. "Now, you wait one second and listen to me! Stop fighting for two minutes so we can talk to you!"

Luna finished off the remainder of the soldiers as the orange pony stared at Fluttershy in surprise. She scratched her head, looking over her two saviors. "Well, shucks, Ah already thanked ya, but Ah don't think Ah properly introduced mahself. Name's Applejack, and Ah'm here seekin' revenge fer the Empire's crimes against Sweet Apple Acres! Won't ya help me?!"

Luna held up a hoof. "Friend Applejack, I am Princess Luna of Canterlot, and Fluttershy here is my esteemed traveling companion. We will aid thee, but not in thine revenge. Exercise discretion, please! Live to fight another day! We need to escape from this base before we can truly strike a blow at the Empire."

Applejack sighed. "All right, Ah guess yer right...How do we get out, though? This place is more crowded than mah late granny's apple stand during Zap Apple season."

Luna looked around at the base for anything they can use. Off in the corner, she spied a recharging station for Magitek armor. There were a few armors completely unguarded, and she reasoned they could use the armors to beat a hasty retreat. "Come, Applejack! Let us mount those armors over yonder!"

As they approached the armors, Luna noticed that Applejack was growing exceptionally fidgety. The farm pony was eyeing the armor and refusing to get in. "Applejack? Whatever is the matter?" she inquired.

"N-nothing. A-ah'm fine! Yep!" Applejack stammered, jumping into one of the armors as Luna and Fluttershy mounted theirs. Applejack looked at the controls arrayed before her, her head swimming. "Uh...lessee...if Ah do this..."

Applejack's armor took off at a sprint, trampling several soldiers who had come to investigate the commotion. She screamed as her armor started running in circles uncontrollably. Acting quickly, Luna moved her armor towards Applejack's and forcibly stopped it from moving. "Applejack, dost thou not know how to pilot Magitek armor?"

"What?! Of course Ah do!" Applejack replied indignantly, shifting her gaze and puffing out her cheeks. "But...maybe Fluttershy there needs a refresher. Yeah!"

Luna glanced over at Fluttershy, who was deftly firing beams at nearby soldiers, then back to Applejack. "Uh...huh. Well, for Fluttershy's benefit, let us have a quick primer on how to operate the armor."

After a quick explanation and a few false starts, the party moved towards the exit. Along the way, they encountered soldiers in their own Magitek armor, but Fluttershy proved to be somewhat of an expert, easily slicing through their ranks before they could mount an attack on the three ponies. As they reached the opposite end of the base, the armors' limited charge finally burned down, forcing them to dismount. There, on the edge, was Discord himself, waiting for the trio.

"Well, hello, My Little Ponies!" he said in mock delight. "So good to see you! Miss Jappleack, I do believe we are overdue for negotiations on the future of your pathetic little crop garden. I decided to take it for myself. I'm sure you understand."

Applejack snorted, seething with rage. "Mah name is Applejack. You killed mah aunt, mah cousin, and all of mah friends! Prepare to die!"

As Applejack charged forward with her blade, however, she was stopped by another Magitek armor. Unable to simply slice through the thick metal encasing it, she backed up fearfully. Luna grabbed Applejack and Fluttershy and bounded behind one of the tents. "Run!"

Discord barked orders at his soldiers as they dove into some nearby bushes. The soldiers that rounded the corner could not see them, and so they started searching elsewhere in the base instead, giving them an opportunity to flee.

"Whew, that was close! I did not think we would be able to hide for that many hours!"

True to Luna's words, it had long since become dark out. Luna took the opportunity to gaze up at the starry night sky. Something about its serene beauty resonated with the diarch. She'd always been more of a night pony than her sister, and the mere sight of the moon or the stars calmed her to her core. She'd always been much better at thinking rationally during the quiet Canterlot nights.

Her reverie was shattered by Applejack, who was nervously pacing back and forth, shaking. "Why, dearest Applejack, whatever is the matter? Thou know we have evaded the Imperials for the time being, correct?"

Applejack shook her head. "Ah'm not afraid o'them gutless cowards. Ah need to teach them a lesson! Ah really wanted to go down fightin' 'fore y'all showed up and stopped me. All Ah can think about is mah poor aunt and cousin...taken well before their time by that no-honor swine Discord!" She stamped the ground with her forehoof and snorted, illustrating her rage.

Luna placed a sympathetic hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "We understand thine feelings, dear Applejack, but thou must think clearly before acting. Is this really something your family would want you to lose your life over? Are you willing to throw away the rest of your time in Equestria for the opportunity to cut down a few more soldiers?"

Applejack sighed, trembling slightly. She stared at the ground for a few seconds, then locked eyes once more with Luna. "Ah suppose yer right...mah family wouldn't want it this way. It's just...so hard."

Fluttershy watched the scene at a small distance, content not to interfere in the affairs of these ponies. However, something had stirred in her memories. "Family...not a day goes by that I don't think about my own family. Did I do the right thing...?"

Luna stood up. "Well then, that's enough moping around for now. Fair Applejack, dost thou know the way to Neighshe from here?"

Applejack chuckled a little. "Neighshe? What the hay do you need to go all the way up there for?"

"Well, our friends are meeting there to discuss plans to overthrow the Empire. I figured that would be of at least some interest to you, no?"

"Huh. Well then, why didn't ya say so? But Neighshe is a pretty long way from here now that the Empire's on the prowl. Ah think the only way y'all can get up that way is by headin' plumb in the opposite direction, and even then Ah don't know what all is out that way."

Luna stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Well, it's currently our best shot. I say, why not?"

Applejack nodded. "Well, then first we'll have to cross the Everfree Forest to the south of us. Ah've never been out that way, but Ah figure we ain't got a choice now."

As the two ponies started walking towards the forest entrance, they failed to notice Fluttershy quivering behind them. "Th-the E-E-Everfree...Forest...?!" she squeaked, but Luna and Applejack paid her no heed. Nervously, Fluttershy fell in step behind her companions, shaking the whole time.

"Ah tell ya, this forest gives me the willies already. Now Ah remember why nopony in mah family ever came out this way."

The forest was much more vast than they could see from a distance. It completely covered a wide pass between the mountains, and they had no way of telling just how deep it was. Unlike forests Luna had seen in Canterlot, this forest was very still. She couldn't shake the feeling that somewhere in the distance, somepony was moaning softly.

Fluttershy had been nearly paralyzed with fear since they'd set foot in the forest, prompting Angel to hop out of her saddle bag and drag her along the ground with a sour look on his face. Repeated attempts to comfort her or get any information out of her were met with a blank stare and the occasional trembling mumble. Regardless, the actual trek was fairly simple. The eerie stillness of the forest presented no obstacles to their forward progress. Luna couldn't shake the feeling that they were having almost too easy of a journey now that they had slipped through the Imperial dragnet.

Applejack had moved up ahead a short ways. She seemed to be squinting towards a clearing in the forest. "Uh...beg pardon, Ms. Luna, but what the hay d'ya think that is?"

Luna followed Applejack's forehoof to the clearing she pointed at. There appeared to be a large, antiquated train station running straight through the forest. Luna thought it quite peculiar that there would be a train station in the middle of nowhere like this, but... "Hm. Applejack, I do believe this train must lead somewhere. Is it not entirely possible it could bring us closer to Neighshe?"

Applejack frowned pensively. "Uh, are you sure gettin' on strange contraptions in a forest is a good idea? This all seems a mite too convenient fer mah tastes."

Luna glanced at Applejack. "Wait. 'Contraptions?' Applejack, have you never seen a train before?"

Applejack's face turned bright scarlet. "H-hey! What're you implyin'?! Ah told ya we don't have such gobbledegook on our farm!"

Luna endured Applejack's indignant stare for a few seconds, smirking in spite of herself. "Whatever you say, Miss Cowgirl. Regardless, I think it's worth investigating."

Luna and Applejack pushed through the turnstile, with Angel dragging Fluttershy underneath behind them. The train platform seemed to be completely devoid of any other ponies. The train seemed to stretch on for miles in front of them, but only three coach cars sat next to the platform. The rearmost coach car's doors were open, almost as if somepony was beckoning them to enter. Luna stomped her hoof resolutely. "We shall discover naught if we merely stand outside and watch! Let us enter the train!"

As the trio plus bunny entered the train, the doors slammed shut behind them. Suddenly, Fluttershy's panic reached a level where she began hyperventilating, followed by a scream so high-pitched, nopony could hear it. Applejack tried to pry the doors open, but they were sealed shut. "What in tarnation is going on here?! Ah knew this was a bad idea-"

Before Applejack could finish her sentence, the train's whistle blew. The cars began to move, and suddenly the train began carrying them to an unknown destination. Fluttershy fell onto her rump with a defeated look plastered on her face. "This forest...this train..."

"Yes? This train? What about it?" Luna prodded.

"It's known as the...Phantom Train. Its only purpose is to ferry ponies to...the afterlife."

That was the last thing Luna remembered before she passed out from shock.

Luna awoke with a start, feeling some sharp pain in her gut. Moaning, she picked herself up off the ground, standing on some shaky, vibrating ground. She swore she'd just had a dream that they were on some ghost train, and here the ground beneath her was moving. Looking around, she saw Applejack in a corner, rubbing her forehoof gingerly.

"Sakes, Princess. Ah didn't expect ya t'have this strong of a stomach when Ah went t'jab ya awake."

Luna chuckled sheepishly. "Ah, yes...I have been training physically for quite a while. What happened? Where is Fluttershy?"

"Fluttershy's in the next car over. She's lookin' fer the conductor, Ah guess. Ah've been tryin' t'wake yer butt up for the last five minutes so we can get movin'. Why'd ya go and pass out like that, anyway?!"

Luna sighed. "So this wasn't a dream...Forgive me. It was my idea to get everypony onto this train, and I guess I became somewhat overwhelmed."

Applejack shook her head, staring at the ground dejectedly. "Ah deserve this place. Ah couldn't save mah family or friends, and when Ah finally had a chance t'go down swingin', Ah started followin' y'all instead. No offense to y'all, but Ah think Ah shoulda stayed true to mah principles."

Luna stared at Applejack, aghast. "Thou art simply going to give up? The situation may be more dire than we predicted, but surely there is a way for us to continue our journey. Would your family truly want thee to accept such a fatalistic approach?" She stood up dramatically, making sweeping motions to 'knight' Applejack. "You are the glory of the Sweet Apple Acres kingdom! I bid thee continue thine journey with us!"

Applejack nodded reluctantly. It didn't seem the farm pony was completely convinced yet, but at least she would probably cooperate. The two stood up together as Fluttershy walked in from the rear exit. "Ah, Fluttershy! What have you discovered?"

Fluttershy cast her gaze downward. "Well, this train won't be stopping until it reaches its destination. This train isn't like our trains; it runs completely on its own power. That said, the conductor did mention that the train will be forced to stop if we use the switches in the engineering compartment."

"Then that is where we must go! Forward, My Little Ponies!"

The trio exited the car, heading towards the front of the train. The next car they entered was just as empty as the previous car. Fluttershy began to fidget noticeably. "Y-y-y'know...um, isn't it a bit strange? Besides the conductor, we haven't seen anypony else on this train."

Luna looked around, suddenly more aware of her surroundings or lack thereof. "Fluttershy, you do raise an excellent point. If this train ferries the dead, we should not be the only ones on it. We should remain on our guard."

After getting through another car without incident, they came across a car with no doors leading inside but a ladder that led to the roof. As they walked alongside the car's exterior, they heard moaning coming from all around them. Before they could round the corner, a slow-moving, translucent floating figure appeared before them. Fluttershy shrieked and hid behind Applejack as the other two prepared for a fight. Applejack attempted to slash the figure, but her weapon simply passed through unobstructed, causing her to lose her balance and tumble onto Fluttershy. Luna attempted to punch the strange figure, but she only succeeded in passing through it slightly. As she did, she could feel her body growing cold and numb, and she jumped back instinctively.

Applejack groaned. "What the hay is this thing and how are we supposed to get by it?!"

Fluttershy whimpered. "It's a g-g-g-ghost!" She clutched Applejack tightly and sobbed into the pony's coat, drenching her in salty tears. Applejack stared at Luna, at a loss for words.

Luna backed away from the slowly encroaching figure, beckoning her companions to retreat towards the previous car. Before they could round the rear corner, however, another ghost appeared in their path. As the ghosts on either side advanced, more seemed to follow behind them. In a panic, the three hapless ponies scrambled up the ladder towards the roof of the car, prompting the ghosts to flood the walkway around the car. As they did, they began moaning a chorus: "Nooo escaaaape...There's nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Join us for fun...you've already died..."

Luna scoffed. "Come now, girls. Don't listen to them! We're not supposed to be on this train, therefore we are not dead!"

"But there's no way off'a this car! How're we gonna escape this'un, Princess?" Applejack countered.

"Fear not, noble Applejack! Where there is a will, there is a way! Quickly, both of you on my back!"

Applejack and Fluttershy hesitantly did as they were told, but true to form, Luna's sheer strength allowed her to move almost unhindered even with the weight of two grown mares on her back. She set her sights on the roof of the next car, then charged forward, leaping mightily as she reached the edge. Carrying over her momentum, she continued running as she hit the next car, jumping once more as she reached the edge. This time, however, her jump was short, and she tumbled to the entrance of the next car with Applejack and Fluttershy in tow. As the three ponies picked themselves up and dusted off, the moaning approached once more. "Nooo escaaape..."

Fluttershy pointed shakily towards the previous car, which held a veritable army of ghosts. Thinking quickly, Luna examined the coupling connecting the two cars. Noticing a switch next to the connection, she pulled it, detaching all of the cars behind them. The ghosts wandered up to the edge, but as the cars began to slow down, the gap grew wider, and they seemed to be incapable of floating over bare ground. For the moment, the trio was safe.

Luna grew pensive. "This train is likely full of ghosts. We must figure out a means to combat them if we come across any later, or we are surely never going to reach the front. Does anypony have any idea what could possibly hurt a ghost?"

"Hm. Don't those things hate light? Do we have anythin' that we can use t'flash a bright light at 'em?" Applejack asked.

Luna's face lit up. Perhaps they did have a way to fight back. "Applejack, thou are a genius! Please observe!" She began gathering light energy in her hooves, then thrust it forward in a beam of light as she had done on the raft. "HADOUKEN!"

"That's impressive, Luna, and Ah'm sure it'll help us. Ah just pray we won't have to use it."

The interior of the next car was once more conspicuously empty. Somehow the absence of ghosts was now scarier than having an obstacle they could actually see and deal with. Applejack had resigned herself to carrying Fluttershy on her back, as the poor pegasus had become nearly catatonic with fear. Luna steeled herself for combat as they exited the car, uncertain when or where the next ghost could pop out. Once again, the exterior seemed to be empty. Luna wondered what the purpose of such a huge train was if nopony ever used its length, but then again who could understand the world of the dead?

The next car appeared to be set up like a dining car. There was a solitary table in the center, with three chairs set up around it. Luna's features brightened. "Oh, goodness! We were so hungry we were unsure of how much force would be behind our Hadoukens! What serendipity to have found a dining car!" She sat in one of the chairs, beckoning the others to follow. Applejack and Fluttershy tentatively took their seats as Luna began banging loudly on the table. "Server! Bring us a glorious feast!"

On cue, an elegantly-dressed ghost appeared, carrying a tray loaded with exotic foods and bottles of cider. It placed the contents of the tray on the table, bowing to the seated ponies, then vanished from whence it came. Luna began tearing into the food rather crudely, while Applejack poked it uncertainly. "Excuse me, Princess, but isn't this ghost food? How can ya tell it won't turn us into ghosts or doom us never to leave the underworld or something like that?"

"Dearesht Appleshack, you do have the mosht fifid imashinashion!" Luna responded with her mouth full, spewing chunks everywhere. "Eferypony knowsh that thosh taleth are pure myth!"

Applejack covered her face with her hooves to protect from the culinary assault. "Ahh! Okay, okay, sheesh! Ah thought y'all princess types were supposed t'be refined and elegant!"

Luna chuckled, swallowing her food this time before responding. "One quickly learns to forgo dining decorum when one spends all day training mind and body to their absolute peak."

Fluttershy was busy feeding Angel, who seemed to stubbornly reject half the food he was presented. "Please, Angel Bunny, I don't know when I'll get another chance to feed you! If we never get off this train, I want you to escape and keep looking for Miss Belle and take good care of her for me, okay?"

"Miss Belle? Who's that, yer special somepony?" Applejack teased.

Fluttershy blushed, embarrassed. "Oh my, um, no...it's nothing," she added, squeaking for emphasis.

Finishing the food rather quickly, the group pushed in their empty plates and glasses, and the ghost appeared once more. They could not grasp the true process by which the ghost spirited away their dishes, but before they could say anything, it had once more vanished. Feeling refreshed, Luna took the lead as the ponies followed her out the door to the next car.

Inside the next car, there were three ghosts that began floating towards them and moaning as soon as they entered. Luna jumped in front of Applejack and Fluttershy, rapidly charging up her energy. "HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN!" One by one, the ghosts' incorporeal forms dissipated as they were struck by the bolts. Luna stood there triumphantly, confident they had this problem licked.

Applejack, however, was facehoofing. "D'ya really gotta call out the name of yer attack every single time ya do it? We know what it is, and it ain't like yer chantin' a spell or somethin'..."

"What?! Of course I must! Martial arts takes incalculable focus the likes of which you can't possibly comprehend! Calling out my attack is merely one act of focusing that strength!"

"Whatever you say. Ah just think it's unnecessary."

Luna scoffed, refusing to say any more. Nearby, there was a side compartment with its door left open. Curious, Luna poked her head into the room, ready to blast the first ghost she saw. To her surprise, the compartment appeared to be completely empty except for a small box in the corner. Luna beckoned her companions to follow, and they crowded around the strange container.

Luna moved to open the box, but before she could, a boisterous voice demanded, "Stop right there! Don't touch that box!" As the ponies scanned the compartment for the source of the outburst, a tan pegasus wearing a safari helmet and vest and a cocksure grin leaped out of a hidden area inside the compartment's seats. "My name is Daring Do, and I am the world's...no, the universe's greatest archaeologist!" she boasted, striking a pose. "The contents of that box belong to me, and you'll have to best me in mortal combat to claim the rights. As I'm sure you've deduced, this is an impossible feat, and your only hope for salvation lies in begging for my infinite mercy!" Finishing her monologue, she brandished a frail-looking whip and began laughing haughtily.

Luna and Applejack stared at each other. "Do y'all think she's got a few screws loose?" Applejack inquired.

"More than a few, I'm afraid. Looks like there's only one solution to this mess."

Luna slowly walked up to Daring Do, who began whipping her fiercely. Luna almost didn't even feel anything. It was akin to being slapped lightly by a sheet of paper. As the whip came down for another lash, Luna grabbed it out of the air and effortlessly snapped it in half, causing Daring Do to shrink back in surprise. "Was that all you had, Miss Do? I daresay it'll take more than that to faze the likes of us."

Daring Do cursed under her breath. "You...well, it's going to seem like I'm running away. But I'm merely regrouping, reassessing. We will surely meet again, perhaps when the world is not as it should be!" With that, she dove back into the seats, seemingly vanishing into thin air.

The trio stood there in stunned silence for a couple of minutes. Finally, Applejack broke the silence. "What...the hay...was that?"

"Angel Bunny says we should just forget we ever saw such a bizarre thing," Fluttershy ventured. "So, what was in the box, anyway?"

Luna opened the box. Inside, there was only a note. Luna picked up the note and read it aloud for the others: "'To stop the train, close the first and third pressure valves, then operate the switch near the smokestack.' Huzzah! Now we know how exactly how to stop the train!"

Applejack's face was scrunched up, and she was beginning to sweat. "Pressure valves? Smokestack? Is it really a good idea to be messin' with that stuff?"

"Well, whatever could be the problem?"

"You don't think...we could explode, right? And then explode again?"

Luna stared at Applejack in disbelief. "Where would you get a silly notion like that? I know you're not good with machines, but it's almost as if thou art...afraid of them?"

"Ah am not! You take that back!" Applejack shot back indignantly, cheeks puffed with rage.

Luna giggled. "My, so transparent. All right, Miss Jack, let's get to the engineering compartment and finish this job. We have to keep moving."

They exited the car, Applejack muttering something to herself under her breath. They could see the locomotive that was at the front of the train a short distance ahead. With only one more car left to examine, Luna figured it was the engineering compartment. Inside, on the wall, were three valves, all flipped open. Luna did as the note instructed, pulling the first and third valves closed with her hooves. Fluttershy, meanwhile, walked up towards the smokestack of the locomotive, finding a small switch built into the side. As her companions joined her on the locomotive, she pressed the switch. This was answered with the train's whistle blowing shrilly in their ears. A booming voice emitted from the locomotive itself. "So! You mortals are the ones who have been impeding my work! Perhaps I should teach you a lesson about meddling in affairs beyond your comprehension!"

A supernatural force swept the ponies off their hooves, planting them in front of the locomotive as it was still moving. In a panic, the trio began running as quickly as they could while the train chased behind them slightly, cackling in its booming voice all the while. Fluttershy began whimpering, and the other two realized they would have to figure out a way to stop this out-of-control train before they became overwhelmed.

"Applejack! Is there anything thou canst do?" Luna shouted.

"Sorry, Sugarcube! Ah'm only good if Ah can achieve calm focus! Runnin' fer mah life kinda precludes that!"

"Then there is only one way to solve this predicament! Buck me at the train!"

"What?!" Applejack exclaimed, her face twisted into a look of pure incredulity. "Ah'm sorry, Ah had somethin' crazy in mah ear!"

"I'm serious! Buck me at the train!"

"All right, but don't go cryin' to me later!"

Luna jumped towards Applejack, positioning herself so that Applejack's strong rear legs would propel her towards the train. As they connected, Luna readied her forehooves. The impact with the locomotive's head stopped the train cold for a second. Then, with reserves of strength that seemed completely insane to her companions, Luna picked up the entire train from the front and suplexed it off the track entirely, destroying large portions of the surrounding forest. Applejack's jaw became stuck open. Fluttershy had already fainted, and Angel was dragging her onto the still-stunned Applejack's back. As Luna dusted herself off, the train began to hum, then it slowly righted itself and floated back onto the track. The booming voice rang out once more, but this time it was calm, pensive. "I see. So there are still things you must do in this world. Very well, I shall let you go. I am scheduled to make another stop very shortly to pick up some recently deceased. You may exit then and only then."

"Hoo-wee, Princess! What the hell do you eat fer breakfast to be able to pull off a stunt like that?!"

Luna blushed. "Oh, it's nothing, really. Just lots of proatein."

The train had come to a stop, and the doors swung open from the car in which they were riding. Stepping off onto the platform, it felt as if they had just reached land after months at sea. A feeling of ecstasy washed over the party, only to be dashed when the group looked off to the side at the ponies that were boarding. Applejack paled as she recognized the identity of the "boarding ponies:" the former inhabitants of Sweet Apple Acres. Luna and Fluttershy had to restrain her to prevent her from leaping headlong into the recently departed, including members of her own family. "Aunt Betty! Apple Fritter! No! I have to save them!"

"Applejack! They're gone! There's nothing you can do for them!" Luna exclaimed.

As they watched the train start up and begin to roll off into the distance, Applejack's family members stood at the windows, waving goodbye. Before long, they were out of sight.

Applejack waited on the platform alone, in silence, for the next three hours.

Author's Note

I am so sorry it takes me so long to write these. I have so much class work to do lately, and I only really get to write for a couple of hours each week at most. To those of you sticking with me, thanks! You're making it all worthwhile!

Chapter 6: Sugar and Spice

Applejack's sleep was restless and tortured. Images of her family swirled through her mind, and one phrase kept repeating itself: "You could have prevented this. You could have prevented this." Everything she'd seen so far, the poisoning, the retaliation on the base, the Phantom Train, it all represented failed attempts to prevent or avenge the deaths of her family.

Applejack awoke to bright sunlight, but she felt as if she'd gotten no real sleep at all. Groggily sitting up and rubbing her eyes with her forehooves, she saw Luna and Fluttershy talking a short distance away. Fluttershy had glanced over and noticed Applejack was awake, so she nudged over a bowl of oatmeal she'd saved for Applejack's breakfast. The farm pony gratefully gobbled up the oatmeal with unexpected zeal.

"My, you must have been hungry," Fluttershy said with a smile.

"Yeah, reckon Ah was a mite more peckish than Ah thought."

"I was just telling Miss Luna here that unfortunately I can travel no further with you. I am on a personal journey of my own, and I can't possibly accompany you both and accomplish what I'm here to do at the same time." Fluttershy cast her gaze groundward and twiddled her hooves as she spoke.

Applejack smiled weakly. "Ah may be in a bit of a bad way mahself, but you've been nothing but helpful to us the whole time you've been along, Fluttershy. Ah reckon Ah speak fer both of us when Ah say yer welcome to come along any time ya want."

Luna nodded. "Dearest Fluttershy, your quest comes first for you. We have a date with destiny in Neighshe, but I am certain our paths will cross again someday. Until then, fare thee well, and do practice those assertiveness exercises I have shown you!"

Fluttershy smiled, then turned around, too timid to say another word. As she walked off into the distance, Luna pointed towards a nearby peak. "Applejack, dost thou recognize that mountain?"

Applejack squinted towards the indicated direction. "That one? Ah think that's just the mountain attached to Barren Falls, ain't it?"

"Correct. Fluttershy has scouted this area previously, and she said the quickest way to get to Ponyville from where we are is to leap over Barren Falls and cross the Veldt."

Applejack paled. "Are you insane in the membrane?! Look, Ah know you were able to lift that damn train, and I'd be scared as spit t'cross ya, but nopony's luck lasts forever! Ain't there any other way?"

"We've spent too long coming this far as it is. We need to get to Neighse posthaste, and we can't afford to make any more detours. It's a risky maneuver, but I believe we shall be all right."

Applejack sighed. Here she was, traveling with somepony who thought she was Mare Grylls, about to jump a waterfall as a time-saving measure. "Oh well, how much worse could it possibly get? Ah guess we've already cheated death."

"Good! Now climb upon my back." Luna pointed to a spot on her back she expected Applejack to mount.

"Wh-what?! Ah'm not gonna mount another mare! It ain't right!" Applejack exclaimed, face flushed bright scarlet.

"Come now, there is nothing weird about this situation. I am only doing it so that in case I have an unfortunate landing, thou might be spared."

"Ah ain't budgin' on that point, ma'am. If Ah jump, Ah jump on mah own."

Luna sighed. "All right, then. Are you ready?"

Applejack fastened the strap on her Stetson tightly, then steeled her nerves. "Ah'm ready."

The duo leapt rather ungracefully from the tip of Barren Falls, plummeting into the raging waters below.

A bouncy pink mare sporting a bushy mane and tail conjuring the very image of pink cotton candy was playing a lonely game of tiddlywinks at the base of the waterfall. This mare was quite capable of making her own fun, giggling and snorting as she ran back and forth from side to side imitating two ponies having a heated sporting match. As she wrapped up a round, the pink pony heard a couple of loud splashes behind her. Floating to the bank nearest the astonished pony were Luna and Applejack.

The bubbly mare broke into a fit of laughter. How absurd to think that two ponies jumped off the top of Barren Falls heedless to the danger! Luckily for them, she was medically trained and knew precisely how to rouse them from their unconscious slumber. She promptly sucked in a large quantity of water through a straw produced from parts unknown, distending her cheeks like a squirrel that was hoarding a few too many nuts. The comically oversized pony then proceeded to spew half the contents of the river over their unconscious bodies.

Luna awoke with a start, coughing and flailing about as if fighting off some invisible assailant. "Who goes there?!" she yelled, slipping into the Royal Canterlot Voice once more.

Her savior leaped back in surprise, then took off running in a random direction, zigzagging and looping while kicking up a cloud of dust. Luna could not help but gape at the incomprehensibly cartoonish antics of this pony, but she and Applejack did not have time to ponder why the laws of physics did not seem to apply universally.

Applejack groaned and sat up behind her. "What the hay is all the commotion? Are we dead or somethin'?"

Luna waved her hoof dismissively. "Nothing's wrong, Applejack. I think I saw a ghost...or a cotton candy monster."

Applejack gazed at the horizon. This was the infamous Veldt. In the distance there was nothing but flat savannah in all directions. All manner of beasts, local and exotic, seemed to prowl the area, making this an exceedingly dangerous area to camp for the night. In addition, if what Fluttershy told them was true, Ponyville lay far to the east, and they'd have to trek all day through the hazardous plains if they were to have any hope of reaching civilization.

Applejack placed her Stetson on her head, then she and Luna began trudging eastward in silence. It was gonna be a long day.

Before long, they were approached by a large group of rather vicious looking bears. Luna recognized them as being from the Mt. Colts region, steeling herself for battle. Applejack, for her part, had never had to fight bears before, but her confidence was not easily shaken. They both prepared to strike. Applejack closed her eyes and began concentrating, then went to draw her katana-

"WHEE!" came a shrill shriek behind them. A pink blur bounced off Luna's head, knocking the pugilistic princess into the ground. The pink pony they had seen before was rapidly dancing with the very confused bears, switching off so rapidly that she was leading all of them at once in what Applejack could only describe as a bizarre waltz. Giggling, the pony led all the bears into each other and arranged them so they were all dancing with each other, then pulled a stick off the ground and swung it hard, knocking the lot of them off into the horizon.

Words had completely failed Applejack. She was beyond capable of understanding what had just occurred, and she merely dropped her scabbard and stared. Luna, meanwhile, finally dislodged her face from the ground with a thick "pop." Furious, she motioned to sock the pony for causing her to faceplant, but the hyperactive mare was much too fast for her. Grasping the sides of her face with her forehooves in a show of mock fear, she yelled, "Look out, everypony! It's Nightmare Moon!" in her high-pitched cadence.

Before Luna could retort, the pony once more bounced off into the distance, giggling and snorting the whole way. Applejack sighed. "Y'know, if you don't calm down a bit, we won't even make it to Ponyville. You'll just be havin' a stroke the next time y'all tussle."

Luna shot Applejack a venomous glare, then began furiously stomping eastward, making a great show of her bloodlust.

Hours later, they had finally gotten close enough to Ponyville to see the town limits, though they had not continued without incident. The Veldt was a dangerous place, and they ran into frequent bands of monsters and the occasional Imperial patrol. Every time, however, before they could do anything, that strange, bouncy mare would show up and basically clean house. Applejack was thankful for the help, but it was beginning to creep the farm pony out. In addition, her traveling companion's face was getting more and more bruised, and her body was so tense it seemed like her blood pressure could suffer a fatal spike at any moment.

Before Applejack could say a word, Luna held up a hoof indignantly, attempting to retort through her disfigured face. "Noth a wordth, Abblejab."

"Ah was just gonna suggest we grab a room at the inn before shovin' off from Ponyville. Yer in no condition to go anywhere lookin' like that."

"I heal fabst," the princess replied unconvincingly. Applejack shrugged and decided it wasn't worth arguing over.

As they entered the town, the locals they approached fled in terror. Applejack smirked at Luna, receiving only a glare in response. None of the shopkeeps would dare lock eyes with the lunar princess, preferring instead to cower behind the safety of their counters. Even the guards were unable to stand their ground under the frightening gaze of the enraged diarch.

"All righb, fine." Luna surrendered herself to the inn for the night as Applejack stifled laughter.

The innkeeper was nowhere to be found. Luna sighed and climbed into bed wordlessly, while Applejack left a pouch on the counter with the inn's fee plus a little extra as "hazard pay."

To Applejack's bemusement, Luna's estimation of her own convalescence proved to be somewhat accurate. The swelling on her lips had reduced to the point that Luna could be understood once more. The welts on her body from being pummeled by the pink pony would take longer to fully heal, but she looked presentable enough that the duo could begin asking ponies how to return to Neighshe.

As Luna washed herself clean of the various bits of mud and grass she had been unceremoniously shoved into, Applejack queried an older stallion walking by the inn's entrance. "'Scuse me, sir, but me'n'mah friend are lookin' fer a way to get to Neighshe from here. Do ya have any info that could help?"

The stallion cast his gaze groundward, ashamed. "Gee, Miss, I sure wish I could help. The Empire's got all ships headed that way blockaded, and we just can't get through. The only other way would be...well, through the Serpent's Trench."

Applejack stared blankly. "The Serpa-whatsit?"

"It's an undersea passage with a strong current. It starts not far south from Ponyville, but the current is very strong. A lesser pony would likely be dashed to bits."

Applejack smirked, flexing her forelegs and bucking the air for show. "That's okay. We're plenty strong enough t'handle a little water."

The stallion rubbed the back of his neck with his forehoof, grinning sheepishly. "See, that's the other thing. The Serpent's Trench is underwater. The only pony I'd ever met who could hold his breath long enough to survive a trip through that trench went off to some island to fight a ghost pirate or something. I dunno, we never heard from him again."

Applejack frowned, deep in thought. "Yer right, Ah can't really hold mah breath that long. Is there any other way we can get through?"

"Well, you folks came from the west, and I assume you've crossed paths with that crazy pink mare that's always out in the Veldt playing with the creatures."

Applejack glanced inside the inn. Luna was apologizing to the innkeeper in her royal tone, which did little to ease his fears. "Yeah, you could say we've had a few run-ins."

"Somepony told me recently that that pink menace recently came into possession of an old artifact. It's supposedly very shiny and I'm not sure what it is, but from his description I hear it was once sought after by swimmers from olden times. Perhaps that could be of assistance."

Applejack nodded. "Well, thank ya kindly fer the information. We'll give it a shot."

Luna emerged from the inn as the stallion walked off. "Well, I had to leave a sizable tip on top of what we paid out last night. That innkeeper was rude enough to suggest I could cause him to lose his hearing! Can you imagine?!" she said indignantly.

Applejack snickered, but decided to change the subject. "Here's the deal. We gotta figure out some way t'get on that pink pony's good side. She may be able to help us get to Neighshe."

Luna's eyes shot daggers at Applejack. "There is no way you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting," she replied venomously.

"Look, we got no other choice. The Empire's already blockaded Neighshe, and you said we needed to get there as soon as possible. This is the only chance we got."

Luna sat on her haunches and dug at the dirt absently, mumbling to herself. After several awkward seconds, she glanced up at Applejack once more. "Fine, we'll do it. But how do you propose we get the attention of such a flighty filly?"

Applejack shrugged. "If Ah had any idea what was goin' on in that hyperactive hooligan's head, we wouldn't be in this jam. Ah have an idea, though. Mah granny always used t'say that hyper ponies crave sugar. Maybe we could win her over with a peace offering."

"Applejack, with all due respect, what logical sense does it make to give somepony who already flies off the handle at a mere glance more sugar?"

"You got any better ideas, Princess Pufferfish?" Luna glared in response. "Look, obviously talkin' and...whatever fightin' you've tried aren't workin'. This is the only idea Ah got left. Maybe she just wants a friend."

Luna scoffed as Applejack tossed a few bits on a street vendor's cart, picking up a couple of heavily frosted cupcakes to take along. "She's a menace. I do this under protest, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Save it for the reunion."

Spotting their prey's trail proved to be simpler than the duo had imagined. A pile of wayward Imperial soldiers lay a short distance from Ponyville. The pink pony was dancing blithely around the unconscious forms of the soldiers. As she passed each one, she stuck a streamer in his mouth and a party hat on his head. Once she had completed her rounds, she leapt up on top of the pile and emitted fireworks and confetti from seemingly nowhere.

Luna glanced at Applejack as they approached. Applejack merely shrugged in response. There didn't seem to be any logic behind the pony's actions, and they were beginning to doubt the efficacy of their clever plan.

Suddenly the party pony jumped down from the pile and ran up to the duo, startling Applejack. She sniffed expectantly around the farm pony's saddlebags. Applejack pulled out the cupcakes, holding them out towards the pony. Her eyes widening and her mouth contorting into a gleeful grin, the pink pony pointed at herself. "For me?!"

No sooner did Applejack nod than both cupcakes vanished, and the pony began bouncing all over the place. Luna waited for an opportunity, then pounced on her. The mare giggled as she got back to her hooves. "Wow, you're quick! I didn't think you'd be able to catch me!"

Luna's face flushed crimson with rage. "BE STILL! We are trying to ask thee a question!"

The pony ignored Luna, instead bounding around the area aimlessly as Luna tried to keep up. The discipline Luna had built up over many years was on poor display as she became increasingly red-faced and sweaty. Meanwhile, the pink pony seemed to be having the time of her life. Instead of sweat, she seemed to be emitting confetti and party favors, and her mane smelled strongly of frosting. Luna stopped to catch her breath, employing the forgotten technique of the Royal Canterlot Wheeze. "Be...be still...Cease, thou boundless spirit!"

"Haha! That's a silly word! Maybe you should train more instead of learning silly words like 'thou!'"

The pony continued bouncing around Luna, the lunar mare ready to incinerate the ground. Every so often, the hyper filly would yell, "Thou!" at nopony in particular. Eventually, the pony stopped in front of Applejack, who had been watching speechlessly the entire time. "Thou? You look like you could use a party!"

Applejack stared blankly at the pink pony, lost in thought. Could this pony have figured me out? she thought to herself. It's true, she had not had many peaceful, happy thoughts since the assault on Sweet Apple Acres.

Luna was dumbstruck. "Desist! Thou do not know the pain that this pony has endured!"

Applejack held up a hoof to silence Luna. "No...no, she's right. Ah needed a bit of cheerin' up, and Ah think all she wants to do is be our friend."

"Whee! Friends! I'm so happy! My name's Pinkie Pie! I already know all about you guys!" the sugary mare said.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Pray tell, how is that possible? We have not introduced ourselves-"

"Well, duh! I read your character bios! You guys have obviously had a rough couple of days, but Madame Pinkie is here to make everything better! I have something I think you'll like, but it's a surpri~se!" she intoned in a singsong cadence. "You'll have to follow me to the old rock farm far to the south of here. And don't worry about these silly beasties on the Veldt. Pinkie has so many friends!"

Without waiting for a response, Pinkie began cartwheeling with all four hooves towards the south. Applejack smirked, turning towards Luna. "Y'know, Ah don't think that mare's half bad. Ah can't understand half the crap she's talkin' about, but Ah think she's good for both morale and fightin'. Can't count out that kinda help."

Luna was still slack-jawed at the response Pinkie had issued forth. "What nonsense is this?! 'Character bios?!' Applejack, you can't seriously be ready to accept this farce!"

Applejack shrugged and started walking towards the south. Luna was content to grumble to herself for a few moments before she heard an amplified shout from the south: "Hey, Miss Thou! Are you coming or not?!"

"My name is not 'Miss Thou'!" Luna responded indignantly, running southward.

On the southern edge of the Veldt, there was a large mountain with a cave cut into the rock face. The mountain was otherwise largely ordinary, prompting Luna to turn to Pinkie. "Er...what exactly is this place? Why have you led us here, Miss Pie?"

"This is the rock farm, silly! This is where I grew up, aaaall by myself!"

Applejack looked around, noticing nothing besides the mountain itself and nothing inside the cave that drew her interest. "Uh, correct me if Ah'm wrong, but ain't a farm supposed to have somethin' growin'? Ah don't see anythin' growin' here, and Ah'm not so sure you can really grow rocks. What gives?"

"It's not a farm for growing rocks, silly. It's a farm where rocks grow their own food!" Satisfied with her explanation, Pinkie giggled and bounced inside the cave opening. Luna and Applejack shrugged at each other in mild bemusement before following her inside.

The inside of the "rock farm" was rather bare and plain. It looked no different from any other cave, damp and cool throughout. "Uh, Pinkie? You were sayin' ya lived here most of yer life? Isn't it...lonely and empty?" Applejack asked, tinged with sympathy.

"Oh, I've never had a problem with that. I've always had the most delightful company! See, right over there, it's Rocky! He just got back from a boxing tour in the Soneight Union! He likes to sing this silly song sometimes about his heart being on fire, but I don't think that's medically possible."

Luna's eyes were spinning in their sockets. "How in the hay can you even keep up with yourself?!"

Brushing off Luna's inquiry, Pinkie pointed to a mound of dirt in a corner of the cave. "There! That's the super awesome surprise I wanted to show you!"

Pinkie ran over to the mound and brushed the dirt off a large, round object with what appeared to be a glass viewport. Pinkie caressed the object, "ooh-ing" and "ah-ing" over how shiny it was. Exasperated, Luna let out a long sigh. "This whole quest was a useless wild goose chase!"

Applejack held up a hoof, thinking to herself. "No, wait. That old feller told me that Pinkie here had found something that could help us cross the Serpent's Trench. Ah was afraid it'd be one o'them machine thingamabobs, but this here looks like somethin' mah granny used to have. Ah think she called it a diver's helmet. In olden times, ponies used to put these over their heads and use them to breathe underwater. Ah'm not sure how it works, but Ah think if we jump in, we can trap a pocket of air in there and breathe for at least a little while."

"But there's only one helmet and three of us!" Luna replied. "How are we going to make this work?!"

As if on cue, Pinkie gave the other two a surprisingly strong bear hug, then shoved the helmet down on top of all three of their heads. "See? You can be stretchy too if you wanna! Whee!"

Pinkie shoved the trio into an uncontrollable roll, launching them out another cave opening that spilled into the raging waters of the Serpent's Trench. Luna's frantic protests were lost to the raging waters as they plunged haplessly into the depths.

Author's Note

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry it took me so long to write this chapter. The quality may have suffered a bit because I split up writing into so many parts, and I've been absolutely slammed with classwork these past couple of months. Regardless, I hope it isn't TOO bad, and I hope I can make up for it with the next chapter or so! Thanks for being patient with me!