From All Fronts

“We need to do something, Rarity!”

The early morning sun glistened off the adolescent dragon’s scales, and the Ponyville spa grew hushed as he raised his voice. The two mares bathing in warm spa mud in front of the dragon turned their heads away, lost in thought. “…Let me see the letter again, Spike.” Rarity calmly requested.

Spike handed the parchment to Rarity, who picked it up in her blue magical aura. She quickly read it over, and then sighed and reclined into the mud. “Does it really say that, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked quietly.

Rarity sighed wearily. “Indeed it does, dearie.” She replied. “It says to stay and watch over Ponyville, and that she’s staying in Canterlot.”

“Yeah, ya see? We have to go after her!” Spike declared, already spinning towards the door.

“No, we don’t, Spike.” Rarity quickly retorted.

Spike spun his head and gaped at Rarity. “What? Why not?!” He shouted at her.

“Calm down, darling.” Rarity ordered him.

“Don’t you two want to see them again?! They could die!” Spike screamed.

Rarity rose slightly out of the mud. “Spike.” She stated calmly. “Twilight promised me, promised me, that she would return with everypony.” Rarity stared accusingly into Spike’s green eyes. “I trust her to come home, and so must you.”

Spike flared his nostrils angrily. “What’s gotten into you?!” He continued to fume. “Do you just expect everything to blow over? Or is just sitting here and getting a spa treatment more important than helping your friends?!”

Mud splattered all over the sparkling spa floor as Rarity furiously shot to her hooves. “What else can we do, Spike?!” Rarity exploded, losing her temper.

“We can go bring them back!” Spike shouted.

“No we can’t!” Rarity defied him.

“You don’t know that!” Spike stood his ground.

“What are we Spike?!” Rarity screamed. “A dress designer, a dragon no older than Sweetie Belle, and an animal caretaker! How could we do what Twilight couldn’t? Or would you prefer to go get yourself killed?!” Spike took a step backwards, but Rarity closed the distance. “Spike…” She growled, and then lowered her head. “…There’s nothing we can do. We’d simply be a… a burden to them.”

Spike stared wide-eyed at Rarity, shocked beyond belief. Rarity’s stance had been made crystal clear, which Spike soon realized. His shock quickly turned into a cold, angry silence, and he began to back away. “Spike…” Rarity called out to him, but he didn’t care. He turned around, clenched his fists, and began storming out of the spa. “Don’t leave!” Once again Spike ignored her, and threw open the spa’s door, walking away in a cold silence.

Shame overtook Rarity, and she turned back around to Fluttershy. As she did, she noticed the awestruck spa-goers who were watching her intently. “Ahem. Nothing to see here, everypony! Carry on with your day!” She declared embarrassedly. The other ponies continued watching her, and she awkwardly clambered back into the mud bath. The spa ponies then broke out of their nervous trance, and proceeded to wipe away the mud Rarity had tracked on the floor.

As Rarity melted sadly into the mud, Fluttershy raised her head to look at her. She then spoke, so softly that Rarity almost didn’t hear her. “…Are you sure, Rarity?”

Rarity met Fluttershy’s eyes. “Sure about what, dear?” She whispered, equally hushed.

“Are you sure that there’s nothing we can do? That our friends will be ok?” Fluttershy asked anxiously.

Rarity took a long, steadying breath, and smiled weakly at her friend. “I heard that all of Equestria’s towns were retaken yesterday. This ‘war’ is probably all just a few ruffians trying to make a statement to the Princess. It will wash over soon, darling.” She comforted.

Fluttershy looked at her skeptically, and dropped her eyes to the mud. “But… Rainbow Dash…”

“I know, Fluttershy.” Rarity soothed her. “They will be fine. Besides, after Twilight brings them back, we’ll force all of them to come here with us. Applejack and Rainbow Dash included.”

Fluttershy let out a barely audible giggle. She was going to speak, but before she could, Rarity clopped her hooves together, catching the nearby spa ponies’ attention. “I’m terribly sorry for the interruption. May we please continue our treatment?” Rarity requested.

“But of course, Miss Rarity!” One of the mares chanted, and then ran off to get her supplies.

Rarity reclined once again into the mud, and smiled at Fluttershy. “Everything will be alright, Fluttershy. Just enjoy your treatment.”

Fluttershy seemed conflicted, and looked around anxiously, before one of the spa ponies came around to her, and placed cucumber slices over her eyes. Nearly in sync, another spa pony did the same to Rarity, enveloping her in a comfortable darkness.

But, even though her body was bathed in warm, soothing mud, Rarity couldn’t relax. ‘Do you expect everything to just blow over?! Or is just sitting here and getting a spa treatment more important than helping your friends?!’ Spike’s words danced in her head. ‘We’d simply be a… a burden to them.’ Rarity gritted her teeth. I had to tell the truth… But… She began to feel choked up. I’ve never had a harder time speaking in my life. Rarity sighed, quietly and dejectedly. Hope for it to blow over… It’s all I’m good for… Twilight, Applejack, everyone… please, come back to us.

*******

“Rainbow Dash! Wake up! You’re late for training!” Twilight shouted, while rhythmically pounding on the castle’s guest room.

The sound of scrambling hooves could be heard from the other side of the purple door, and after a few moments, Rainbow Dash kicked the door open, her sky-blue fur once again concealed by her golden armor. “Ugh… You’re worse than any alarm clock ever.” Rainbow Dash groaned, rubbing her eyes.

“Well somepony has to make sure you don’t sleep in again.” Twilight chastised.

“I didn’t realize I was going back to school…” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Well rise and shine.” Twilight ordered. “Applejack and Pinkie Pie are eating in the dining hall. Get a move on!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Rainbow Dash said apathetically, and then yawned loudly. She stretched her entire body, and then looked up at Twilight. “Ok, let’s get moving.” She declared.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Sorry to keep you waiting…”

Rainbow Dash shut the guest room door, and began sauntering down the hallway. Twilight started walking beside her, and the two mares carried on towards the dining hall. “Man, I haven’t gotten nearly enough sleep these past three days.” Rainbow Dash whined.

“Maybe you should go to bed when you’re supposed to.” Twilight scolded unsympathetically.

“I didn’t know guards had to wake up early!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I thought they just followed the Princess around and hit stuff!”

Twilight gave her a very chastising look. “Maybe you should have looked into your job of choice before you demanded to join.”

“Hmph. Whatever.” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “You wanted to join too, you just got rejected by your step-sister.”

“Well I wouldn’t complain about basic protocol.” Twilight chided. As she continued to walk, Twilight yawned loudly, quickly stuffing her hoof over her mouth, too late to hide it.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, forced Twilight to stop, and looked over her. She shook her head disapprovingly. “Who are you to yell at me about sleep? Have you slept at all these last few days?”

Twilight quickly turned away, attempting to hide the very noticeable bags under her eyes. “I don’t need sleep.” She stated emotionlessly.

“Um, yeah you do. Especially if you’ve already barked at me about it.” Rainbow Dash pressed. “You’re not fooling anypony.”

“Ok, I’m sorry I scolded you. Let’s just get breakfast already.” Twilight insisted, and started walking again.

“Twilight, your body looks a little weak right now.” Rainbow Dash accused. “Have you been eating?”

“I’m fine.” Twilight dismissed the idea. “Let’s move already…”

Rainbow Dash flew in front of Twilight, and pressed her face close to hers. “You’re almost as bad of a liar as Applejack.”

Twilight looked down nervously, not wanting to converse any longer. “I’m not lying…” Rainbow Dash didn’t budge, and continued staring straight at her. Twilight shuffled through her thoughts, and then, she met the pegasus’ gaze, an evil smile spread across her face. “Hey Rainbow Dash… Did you know that the cafeteria serves free cider to royal guards?” She laid her trap.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “You think I’d fall for that? You need to step up your game, Twilight.” She jeered.

Twilight continued to smile. “It’s going to be such a shame when Pinkie drinks aaall of it by herself, again.” She taunted.

Rainbow Dash seemed to be cracking, but she narrowed her eyes. “Twilight, I’m concerned for your health. I’m not going to just bolt away because of the promise of cider.”

“We’re going the same way, aren’t we? You can scold me as much as you want. I just figured you wouldn’t want to turn down the opportunity of free, delicious, mouth-watering cider while waiting for poor, tired old Twilight.” Twilight carried on.

Rainbow Dash’s mental struggle raged, as the promise of her favorite drink taunted her relentlessly. Finally, she broke, and she turned away, growling angrily. “This conversation isn’t over… I’ll find you at the dining hall…” She muttered, and then took off like a rocket down the castle corridor.

Twilight chuckled to herself, ecstatic that her plan had succeeded. She turned around, and began retracing her steps. “Time to get back to work.” She said to nopony in particular. But as she trotted back through the castle, her eyelids began to feel heavy, and her body followed suit. “Ok… Maybe I’ll just teleport there.” She decided. She then closed her heavy eyes, and began to seek out the throne room with her magic, which was much more strenuous than she had anticipated. When she did find it, she allowed her magic to envelop her, and she vanished in a flash of purple light. She reappeared in Celestia’s throne room, but to her surprise, she could barely remain standing. She suddenly felt very lethargic, and she began panting heavily.

Celestia and her two white guards took notice of Twilight’s appearance, turning to her in unison. “Good morning, Twilight.” Celestia greeted her. “Did you sleep-”

“Yes.” Twilight snapped. Celestia seemed taken aback, but then shrugged it off. Twilight brushed off her nausea, and carried on, “What’s our status, Princess?”

Celestia lost her upbeat tone. “Nothing has changed. No sign of our enemies, just like the past two days.” She sighed distantly. “I’m beginning to believe I overreacted. Perhaps their ‘invasion’ was but a large band of extremists.”

Twilight gave her a defiant frown. “No, you couldn’t have been wrong. A band of extremists wouldn’t have demolished Saddle Arabia. News of the next attack will probably burst through the doors at any minute.”

Celestia’s expression didn’t lighten. “I hope that we are both wrong, my student.” She declared ominously.

The two stone-faced guards nodded to each other, and then stepped a few paces away from the throne. They wordlessly looked to Twilight, and beckoned for her to sit beside the Sun Princess. Twilight awkwardly looked at Celestia, who smiled affirmatively. Twilight sauntered up the red carpet stairs, and collapsed beside Celestia. “Are Cadence and Shining Armor still in the Empire?” Twilight worried out loud.

“As far as I know, yes.” Celestia confirmed. “Are you quite all right, my faithful student? You’re breathing quite heavily.”

“Yes.” Twilight shot back with no hesitation. “I’m just… worried. I have to stay focused on the situation.”

Celestia silently draped her large white wing over Twilight, smiled, and looked into her eyes. “You must remember to rest, my faithful student. I need you well-rested in order to assist my sister and I.” Twilight blushed, and shied away from her gaze. Celestia turned her head back away, and changed the subject. “Twilight, have you seen Spell Weaver?” She asked.

“Your advisor? No, I haven’t.” Twilight muttered. “Has he been-?”

As if on cue, the doors to the throne room burst open. Twilight jumped in place, but Celestia just shook her head. Twilight then groaned when she recognized the intruder. “Who else would it be…?” She murmured to herself.

“They did have free cider! They were out of it! Pinkie drank it all!” Rainbow Dash wailed upon entering the room.

Twilight put her head in her hooves, embarrassed for her friend. “Why are you here?” She groaned. “And why can’t you just open the door? Next time the guards will probably attack you.”

Rainbow Dash smirked at her friend after taking in her situation. “Sorry, did I disrupt your snuggle time with the Princess?” She replied sarcastically.

Twilight blushed intensely, and Celestia just shook her head. “Shall we remove this intruder, Your Majesty?” One of Celestia’s guards questioned.

“No, she is a companion of Princess Twilight.” Celestia apathetically answered. “Rainbow Dash, are the guards not training today? It should have begun by now.” She queried.

“I dunno, Princess.” Rainbow Dash answered casually. “The guards weren’t barkin’ orders at us today. I didn’t see much of them. Applejack and Pinkie are still sitting in the dining hall.” She smirked proudly. “Maybe they already passed us.”

I doubt that… Twilight thought negatively.

“I don’t believe so.” Celestia echoed Twilight’s thoughts. “But then, why would the guards not be training today?”

Nopony in the room had an answer, and it fell silent for a few moments. “Sooo, anyway, I came to finish talking to Twilight.” Rainbow Dash carried on.

“Hold that thought.” Twilight silenced her. “We were wondering where Spell Weaver is. You know, Princess Celestia’s advisor? Have you seen him by any chance?”

“The yellow guy?” Rainbow Dash impatiently answered. “I saw him walking out of the castle yesterday. So anyway-”

“He left the castle?” Celestia asked. “I didn’t assign him any duties outside of the castle…”

“Yeah, he walked right out.” Rainbow Dash answered.

“…Wait a second, Rainbow.” Twilight quieted her friend. “Listen. Do you hear that?”

The lack of sound made it painfully obvious that somepony was rapidly approaching the throne room. Without a moment of hesitation, the pony entered the room. A white royal guard stood before them, bowing briefly before relaying his message. “Your Majesty!” The royal guard exclaimed. “Griffons are approaching from the East! Hundreds- no, at least a thousand of them!”

Celestia immediately retracted her wing, and sprang into action, while Rainbow Dash and Twilight sat awestruck, processing the information. “Gather the guards! All of them!” Celestia ordered. “How close to the border are they?”

“Almost to Baltimare, Princess!” He reported.

“Have the guards advance there immediately! Use whatever method you see fit!” Celestia shouted.

“Yes ma’am!” The guard responded, and turned to fulfill his orders. But just then, a blue unicorn guard stormed through the throne room doors.

“Princess! Changelings are storming the South! They’re nearly in Appleloosa already! Your orders, please!” He requested, panic setting in.

Celestia’s eyes flew open wide, and Twilight’s heart began pounding rapidly. “What?!” The first guard shouted. “Another attack?! Now?!”

“Another attack?!” The unicorn guard yelled back.

“Send word to Cloudsdale! Tell them to send word to the Wonderbolts down in Appleloosa!” Celestia commanded the blue unicorn guard, and then turned to the white pegasus. “Send a third of the guards, preferably the elites, as an initial force to Appleloosa. A few Wonderbolts must still be in Manehatten, send word to them as well.”

“At once, Your Majesty!” The two guards saluted in unison.

“It’s happening again…” Twilight whispered, voice wracked with despair. “No, it’s worse than before…”

“Sister, why do you shout?” Luna asked, emerging from her bedroom.

Celestia noticed her sibling, but didn’t face her. “I will explain shortly, Luna. You two, please move quickly!” She ordered the guards again.

“Princess Celestia!” A new group of voices shouted from behind the doors.

“Oh, please, no…” Twilight whispered. Rainbow Dash remained silent.

In unison, three more guards charged through the doors, a solar guard, a lunar guard, and a crystal guard. Twilight recognized the three stallions, and they froze at the sight before them. “Uh… Is this a bad time?” The black-maned lunar guard asked sheepishly.

“Yes.” Rainbow Dash growled.

“Pardon the intrusion, but this is vital information.” The solar guard insisted, his hooves trembling in fear.

“Speak your mind then, Private Bastion. We don’t have any time to spare.” Celestia demanded.

Bastion choked up, and then shoved the lunar guard forward. “Go ahead, Overcast.”

“Oh! Sure! Well, ya see…” Overcast stuttered, also visibly scared.

Overcast was cut off when the third guard placed his yellow hoof on his shoulder. “Let me handle this.” He whispered calmly.

“Flash Sentry…” Twilight whispered, so quietly nopony heard her.

“There’s Diamond Dogs coming from the West. Near Las Pegasus, actually.” His blue eyes narrowed. “So, what do we do?”

Twilight’s heart stopped, and from what she could tell, so did Celestia’s. “The Diamond Dogs? Are you kidding?!” The unicorn guard gaped.

“Why would we joke about that?!” Overcast screamed.

“The point is, we need guards to head to Las Pegasus! Now!” Bastion added in.

“But we need guards to fight the changelings and griffons!” The first guard countered.

At his comment, the entire room went silent. “…What…?” Flash Sentry breathed. All seven of the guards, including Celestia’s bodyguards, slowly turned to her, silently pleading that she knew what to do.

Celestia said nothing, her eyes slowly moving around the room, thinking intently. All three? Now? En Masse? Twilight despaired. Stars above, help us… She looked to Rainbow Dash, who was clearly struggling to keep her composure. Even she’s scared…

“Send a third of the guards to Las Pegasus.” Celestia reluctantly ordered. “All three factions must make do with what they have.”

“Yes ma’am!” The seven guards saluted, and then turned away.

Luna had wiped the sleep from her eyes, and decided to make her presence known. “Royal Guards, follow me! I shall lead the factions from the frontlines!” Luna declared loudly, and started towards the doors.

“Luna!” Celestia shouted, much louder than anypony had anticipated.

“You may not be able to leave the castle, but I can, and I will!” Luna yelled back at her.

Celestia began to give chase, but then stopped herself.  Remembering that her guards stood before her, she unhappily put on a calm expression, and pleaded, “Keep yourself safe. All of you… Please.”

“We will.” Bastion declared, and then quickly turned away again.

The two guards who were guarding the throne nodded to each other, and then walked after the small group. “We shall go as well.” One of them said emotionlessly.

“Lead the way, Princess.” Flash Sentry spoke.

Twilight watched as the eight ponies walked away, never once looking back. She was still taking in the new information, and her exhausted body couldn’t process any emotions. Not fully conscious of her actions, Twilight jerked out of the throne, charged after the small group, and clung to Luna’s shoulder. “Wait!” She ordered, and all of the ponies turned to her. “There has to be another way! You can’t fight them like this! This is suicide!” She screamed, and instantly regretted her choice of words. Oh Celestia, why would I say that? She covered her mouth with her hoof, as if it would take back her words. She looked fearfully at the eight ponies before her, and waited for them to break down in fear, to tremble, and to scold her. But they never did. To her incredible surprise, they smiled at her.

“Suicide? No operation is suicide, Your Majesty.” The blue unicorn guard said with confidence.

“Come on, have a little bit of faith in your guards, Princess.” Overcast joked.

“We’ve been trained for this.” Bastion chimed in.

Twilight was stunned, and then she felt a hoof on her own shoulder. She met eyes with Flash Sentry, who was grinning like a fool. “Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll watch over those two for you.” He promised.

Luna looked down at Twilight as well, a proud smile strewn across her muzzle. “Have you forgotten who is accompanying them, Twilight Sparkle? Or do you doubt my abilities as well?”

“No! I…” Twilight stammered, and then lowered her head. “Just…”

“We shall be safe.” Luna assured her, and removed Twilight’s hoof from her shoulder. “Let us move.”

The guards all nodded, and then followed suit, leaving the room. This time, as Luna and the guards walked away, Twilight felt a small, barely noticeable smile spread across her face. However, that smile faded as soon as her friend reminded everypony of her presence. “So, where do I go?” Rainbow Dash broke the momentary silence. “Appleloosa, Las Pegasus, or Baltimare?”

“None. You will remain here.” Celestia shot her down.

“What? But I’m a guard now! I’m supposed to help!” Rainbow Dash insisted.

Celestia faced her with an uncharacteristically cold stare. “These aren’t scout forces, like what you’ve faced before. These are invasion forces. They have tactics, greater numbers, and overall more experience than you. I refuse to allow you to throw your life away.” Rainbow Dash began searching for a retort, but Celestia didn’t let her. “I don’t have time to argue. I have orders to give.” She dismissed her.

Defeated once again, Rainbow Dash flew to Twilight. “So what’s your plan?” She inquired.

Twilight glared daggers at her. “Since when were you so eager to fight again?” She asked venomously. Rainbow Dash’s eyes grew distant, and she never replied to Twilight’s question. Twilight eventually looked away, and exhaled sadly. “I don’t have a plan.” The two mares continued sulking in the throne room, feeling utterly useless.

Celestia ignored them, and began furiously writing on multiple pieces of parchment she had warped to herself. A few minutes had passed, and Celestia had sent her third letter when Twilight felt a pressure around her. She felt like space was rending where she stood, and she leapt back instinctively. Gold light flashed in front of her, and where she had just stood, a battered gold unicorn now appeared. He appeared exhausted, as if he had just traveled a major distance.

“Spell Weaver?” Celestia acknowledged him. “Where have you been? You were needed here.”

“Princess…” Spell Weaver panted, now gasping for breath. “Everfree Forest… Manticore… going to… attack… Ponyville… send help…” After his message was delivered, he collapsed.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight turned to face the Sun Princess, waiting for her to decide what to do about the new threat. But Celestia didn’t calmly decide how to handle the situation. Instead, Twilight and Rainbow Dash witnessed a sight they thought they would never live to see; Celestia’s calm façade shatter like glass. The pearly-white alicorn’s composure was gone, and she made no attempt to hide her frustration. “Why now… We have no guards left!” She hissed. Rainbow Dash and Twilight stared wide-eyed at their ruler as she lost her control. What am I supposed to do?! We have nothing left!” She ranted. “If Luna hadn’t left, or if Cadence was remotely near here, I could use them, but they’re not! I have nothing!”

“P-Princess?” Twilight stammered in fear.

Celestia seemed to have forgotten the other two mares were in the room, and she turned quickly towards them. Her fiery lavender eyes became cool and controlled once more, and she made no mention of her temporary breakdown. “My faithful student, would you send for a medic for Spell Weaver?” She asked, forcing her calm appearance. “I must tend to a new matter…” The white alicorn turned away, and began speaking her options aloud to herself. “Would Cadence’s guards be able to make it there in time…? No. But what other options do I have…?”

Disturbed by Celestia’s previous rant, Twilight struggled to regain her own composure. When she did, she seized the opportunity when it presented itself to her. “We’ll take care of it!” She declared.

Celestia shot Twilight an icy stare, no longer in a tolerant mood. “Twilight-”

“Listen! Fluttershy has dealt with Manticores before! She can handle this! And the rest of us will have a backup plan in case for some reason she can’t!” Twilight hastily explained.

“Twilight Sparkle-”

“You said it yourself! What other option do we have, Princess?!” Twilight cut her off.

Celestia was prepared to shoot her down a second time, but she paused. She cast her gaze to her unconscious advisor, and the empty throne room. She was forcing a calm expression, but it was obvious that she was screaming on the inside. “I’m truly grasping at straws.” She sighed wearily. “I hate to force you into harm’s way, but I must. Go on, Princess Twilight Sparkle. You haven’t any time to waste.”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash beamed confidently. “We won’t fail!” They shouted in unison.

Much to Twilight’s surprise, Celestia gave her the first real smile she’d had in some time. “I know you won’t.” She agreed, her voice soft and motherly.

Twilight was momentarily stunned by Celestia’s rapid tone change. She quickly turned to Rainbow Dash, and gripped her armored shoulder. “Stay close to me, and shut your eyes.” She instructed. Her friend made no complaints, and she did as she was told. Twilight shut her eyes, and mentally reached for her magic. Focus on the dining hall… focus… Her horn began to glimmer, and a purple light engulfed the two mares. The rift disappeared from the throne room, and then dropped off its passengers in the dining hall with a loud “pop”. Rainbow Dash and Twilight landed on one of the center tables of the dining hall, and were attracting the attention of the guards who were hurriedly being moved to their units.

“Let’s hurry and find-” Twilight began barking, until her legs buckled underneath her, and she collapsed onto her knees, her adrenaline running out.

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called out, and then quickly wrapped Twilight’s foreleg around her neck, and lifted her to her hooves.

“I’m… o… k…” Twilight forced through her now erratic breathing. I feel like I’m suffocating… What just happened? She contemplated groggily.

“Twi! Dash!” Another mare’s voice called out, which proved to belong to Applejack, who then bolted up to them, Pinkie Pie in tow.

“What’s goin’ on?” Pinkie Pie questioned, uncharacteristically worried. “The guards are all freakin’ out! …Hey Twilight, you ok?”

Applejack began supporting Twilight’s other side without any instruction. “You don’ look so good, partner.” She observed.

“The… invasion.” Twilight panted, struggling even to keep her head up. “It’s…”

“It’s happening right now!” Rainbow Dash finished her sentence. “Griffons, diamond dogs, and changelings! A whole lot of them!”

“What?” Applejack looked baffled. “But then why were we ordered to stay put?!”

Rainbow Dash scowled. “We have a different job right now! A manticore is makin’ its way to Ponyville!”

“WHAT?!” Pinkie Pie screamed and leapt straight up in surprise, her heavy armor not hindering her in the slightest.

“Horsefeathers…” Applejack swore. “Let’s hoof it then! Fluttershy is closer to the forest than anypony!”

“Let’s go!” Pinkie Pie cheered, quickly accepting their mission.

“Right!” Rainbow Dash agreed, flaring her wings.

“All of you… Come here.” Twilight requested. “I can… teleport… us…”

“Oho, no you won’t.” Rainbow Dash chastised. “You’ll drop dead if you teleport again. We’ll just hoof it.”

“No…” Twilight tried arguing.

“Every second we waste here, I reckon that manticore is gettin’ closer!” Applejack angrily declared.

Furiously, Rainbow Dash ripped Twilight from Applejack’s grip, and slung her over her back. “Then I’ll carry her! You two should be able to keep up with me!”

“Rainbow-”

“No more arguments!” Rainbow Dash shut her friends up. “We need to go! Now!” She flapped her wings with all her might, and took off towards the courtyard. Applejack growled, but then gave chase to the rainbow blur, Pinkie Pie close behind her.

As the terrain underneath the mares’ hooves changed from the castle’s marble floor to the lush grass of the courtyard, Twilight began to squirm, but she was so weak that Rainbow Dash barely noticed. “Nngh…” Was the only sound that escaped her lips. We’re wasting time! She screamed internally. I should just teleport us anyway! My life isn’t worth all of Ponyville! Twilight then stopped squirming, and bitterly gritted her teeth together. This is all my fault… She realized. All I’ve done for the past week is work myself to death… I’ve done nothing but use magic and stress out over everything… I’ve been running on adrenaline and magic for the past three days… Why am I so…? Twilight stopped thinking, closed her eyes, and rested her head against Rainbow Dash’s neck fur. No, there’s no time for self-loathing.

Rainbow Dash suddenly screeched to a halt in midair, and she swung her hooves in rage. “Crap! I forgot we were in the castle! There’s a whole mountain in our way!” She cursed her luck.

Twilight jerked her head upright, and then began to put her mind to use. Think… If magic and the train are out, what’s our fastest way to Ponyville? Think Twilight…

Applejack briefly put her hoof to her chin. “Could ya just fly us to Ponyville?”

“With all three of us toting armor and weapons, and Twilight out like a light, I doubt it. Unless you want a taste of the mountain.” Rainbow Dash begrudgingly answered.

Applejack scowled. “Well what’s yer idea?”

Twilight mentally hit herself over the head. Think! Cadence always warned me about something here, somewhere you would move extremely fast…

Pinkie Pie pointed to the nearby cliff. “Why don’t we just take the mountain?”

Suddenly, a memory asserted itself into Twilight’s thoughts. That’s it! She quickly scanned the area, and locked her eyes on a clearing on the mountainside. “There!” She shouted, her voice regaining its energy. The other three mares turned to her, and she shot off of Rainbow Dash’s back, her legs slightly buckling. “That clearing! It’s an old settler’s road! It’s a straight shot down the mountain!”

“An’ how will that help us?” Applejack queried.

“Cadence used to warn me about it because it’s become so slick that it’s nearly impossible to stop once you start down it, hence why it was put out of use. We could run down it in a matter of minutes!” Twilight explained.

Pinkie Pie marched over to the ancient road, and looked down it cautiously. “I dunno, it looks pretty dangerous.”

“And you’re in no position to walk! Let alone run down a freakin’ mountain!” Rainbow Dash scolded.

“And our alternative?” Twilight questioned rhetorically. Her friends remained silent, and Twilight scoffed. “That’s what I thought.” Twilight then sprinted to the clearing, and leapt past Pinkie Pie, onto the slick mountain road.

“Twilight!” Pinkie Pie cried out after her.

“Are you insane?!” Rainbow Dash yelled. As Twilight began to sprint out of view, Applejack silently leapt after her, sprinting insanely fast. “You maniac…” Rainbow Dash muttered, before following suit, and charging down the mountainside.

The clear path was quite slippery, and the steepness of the mountainside propelled Twilight forward at an alarming speed. Entire forests zipped by her as her hooves clattered against the hard earth, faster, and faster, and faster. Twilight felt her breath begin to become frantic, and she realized how much she was straining her tired muscles. Stay calm. I need to slow down. She instructed herself. She began to strafe, and shift her body in order to slow her rapid descent, but the smooth surface below caused her legs to slip. As she attempted to slow herself, she realized that she was at such a steep point of the mountain that she could just allow her hooves to glide along the smooth surface underneath her. She was beginning to ever-so-slightly slow down when her three friends zipped by her.

“Slow down!” She called after them through the rushing wind.

“‘Ain’t we supposed to be movin’ fast?” Applejack countered.

Twilight shifted her legs sharply to the left, making sure to avoid straying from the clear road. “Yes, but-”

“Hey Dashie! Race ya to the bottom!” Pinkie Pie randomly declared.

Rainbow Dash slowly turned her head to the pink pony. “Oho… No you didn’t.” She warned.

“Pinkie, I swear to Celestia…” Twilight growled.

“Ya gotta promise you won’t use wings though!” Pinkie Pie ignored Twilight.

“Hahaha… whenever you’re ready.” Rainbow Dash laughed cockily.

“Readysetgo!” Pinkie Pie cheered, and kicked off her hind legs, breaking into a sprint down the steep mountainside.

“You can’t be serious!” Twilight attempted to stop her.

Rainbow Dash folded her wings back, and grew a competitive smirk. “There is no way I’m letting you outrun me!” She challenged, and gave chase at full speed.

“Do you two have a death wish?!” Twilight screamed, straining her throat in the process. “Heaven above, it’s like I’m babysitting you two!”

Twilight heard Applejack slow her pace down, and run beside her. “Don’t strain yourself, Twi. They’re not that stupid. They’re just tryin’ to keep calm. Celestia knows at a time like this we all have to.” Applejack turned to look at Twilight, her hooves still flying down the mountain. “We should catch up to ‘em, we are on a mission right now. Ya want me to carry ya?”

Twilight thought to instantly reject the offer, but her aching legs told her that she should. She argued with herself, and despite her sore body, she straightened herself out, and began to run again. “Thank you, but no. You’re right, we need to move as fast as we can. I’ll collapse later.”

Applejack sighed. “Don’t hurt yerself, sugarcube.”

Twilight and Applejack quickened their paces, and began to see Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie again, but only for short moments, as they were running at a breakneck pace. The four mares continued to glide down the mountainside, sprinting past forests, waterfalls, and many wild creatures, although they couldn’t make out much due to the rushing air around them.

After nearly six minutes of strenuous running, Twilight noticed the cliff beginning to level out. She began to strafe, and let her hooves slide along the flat surface. She caught her fleeting breath, and commanded, “All right, everypony! Slow down! We’re nearing level ground!”

Since she was moving at a less ridiculous pace, Applejack swiftly turned her body, and began sliding her hooves along the mountainside. Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up, and she flared her wings, taking flight and landing at Twilight’s side, a proud smirk stretched across her face. She was panting heavily, and liberally caked in sweat. “Heh…” She bragged through her heavy pants. “I blew Pinkie out of the water!”

Twilight shook her head chastisingly, and then tilted her head towards Pinkie Pie. Confusingly, Pinkie Pie wasn’t slowing down, or even looking behind herself. “Pinkie! Slow down!” Twilight yelled, hoping that her friend had simply not heard her.

But then, Twilight’s fears were realized, as Pinkie Pie looked back at them with a look of terror, a look of absolutely unparalleled fear. She can’t slow down… She’s going too fast! She doesn’t have wings to stop herself! Twilight realized. She looked down the mountainside, and her eyes widened in fear. A few meters in front of Pinkie Pie was a large, jagged rock, with which she was on a direct collision course. “PINKIE!” Twilight screamed.

Pinkie Pie began to scream as well, and she began flailing her legs, desperately trying to slow herself down. But the smooth, hard mountainside prevented her from getting a grip on anything, and her panicked flailing only served to accelerate her towards her demise. Twilight emitted a loud, dreadful shriek. “NOOO!” She attempted to take flight, but her exhausted body wouldn’t allow her wings to lift her off the ground. Her heart sank, as she realized she had no way to save her friend’s life.

All of a sudden, Twilight heard the sound of unsheathing metal. She didn’t even have time to look to her left before Applejack made an incredible leap down the mountain, her glimmering chain-knife gripped tightly in her teeth.  She landed a few meters to the right of Pinkie Pie, and in less than two seconds, pivoted on her forelegs, and hurled her chain-knife at the pink blur to her right. The blunt edge of the chain miraculously wrapped around Pinkie Pie’s hind leg, and without a moment to spare, Applejack yanked her away from the jagged rocks with all her might, and towards her outstretched foreleg. She pulled Pinkie Pie into a tight embrace, and then leapt off of the mountainside, her fierce momentum carrying her through the air. Predicting a crash, Applejack tucked in her legs, and collided with the grassy land at the base of the mountain. She and Pinkie Pie tumbled across the field, and then lay completely still. Twilight and Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt at the bottom of the trail, and sprinted over to them.

“Applejack! Pinkie!” Twilight cried out in despair.

The two mares lay still for the next twenty seconds, not showing any signs of life in them until Applejack sputtered, and rolled off of Pinkie Pie onto her back. “*Cough* Well, now we know our armor’s effective.” She joked, and then forced herself up, and prodded Pinkie Pie with her hoof. “You all right there, sugarcube?” She worriedly asked.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes were staring vacantly at the sky, and she appeared lifeless. Applejack prodded her harder, praying that she would respond, panic gripping her like a vice. After enough prodding, Pinkie Pie’s eyes blinked, and she took in her surroundings. When she regained her ability to move, she tackle-hugged Applejack, tears cascading down her cheeks. “Oh Applejack! I thought I was gonna die! I could kiss you for this!” She sobbed.

Applejack roughly shoved Pinkie Pie off of her, and rose to her hooves. She glared down at her with eyes full of contempt, and with a tone that would frighten a nightmare, she growled, “How ‘bout instead of makin’ out with me, ya think ‘bout what yer doin’?! Yer foolhardy race nearly got ya killed!”

Pinkie Pie’s joy flushed out of her, and she shamefully lowered her head. Rainbow Dash jumped to Pinkie Pie’s side, glaring at Applejack. “”Hey, lay off her AJ! Have a heart! She nearly died back there!”

Applejack instantly turned her malicious glare to Rainbow Dash, her anger increasing in its fiery intensity. “Don’t you get high ended with me, Dash! Ya went along with her stupid idea! An’ not only that, ya left her careenin’ towards her death!”

Twilight had been watching her friends scream at each other, and she decided to intervene. “Girls-” She began, when suddenly her body locked up. Her sentence was cut off, and she collapsed limply onto the ground, somehow unnoticed by her three friends.

Rainbow Dash gave Applejack a glare so furious it could melt ice. “You think this was my fault?!” She protested. “I thought she was fine! And with Twilight constantly screaming at us to slow down, I figured I should come back! I didn’t know that she couldn’t stop!”

“So it ne’er crossed yer mind to tell her yerself?!” Applejack chided.

“Well what-”

“And even then,” Applejack interrupted, “Once ya saw she couldn’t stop, ya didn’t do anythin’! Yer a pegasus! You can fly! And ya didn’t even try to help her!”

Rainbow Dash froze. Pinkie Pie began quietly sobbing, and Twilight’s unnoticed body remained silent. “Why, Rainbow?” Applejack questioned, her anger subsiding.

“I-I…” Rainbow Dash stuttered.

“Why didn’t ya do anythin’?” Applejack demanded. Rainbow Dash’s eyes became spacey, and she began to inhale deeply. “Why…?”

“I don’t know!” Rainbow Dash responded, her voice cracking with guilt. “I froze, ok?!” She held her head in her hooves, tears starting to well in her eyes. “I tried to help her, I did! But my body wouldn’t move!” She shook her head miserably, her tears beginning to fall. “I’m sorry! I couldn’t move! I… I…” She shut her eyes, and gritted her teeth angrily. “I was scared!”

Applejack began slowly approaching Rainbow Dash, who collapsed onto her knees, hitting herself in bitter anger. “I was scared, and she almost died because of it! I’m sorry! I… I…”

“It isn’t her fault!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “I started that race! Not her! I’m sorry! I just thought that it make us go faster so that we could get to Ponyville, but I almost hurt myself and you!” She sobbed.

Applejack quietly wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and embraced them tightly. The two mares were stunned, and Applejack’s relief began to show through her rage. “I don’t care. I’m just glad yer both alive.” She whispered.

Rainbow Dash felt pathetic, and she weaseled out of her friend’s embrace, turning away in shame. “I’m sorry. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

“It ain’t about that, Dash…” Applejack consoled her. “It’s alright, I’m glad you’re ok. Honest.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t turn around. “No it isn’t.” She muttered. “We have to get going now. I won’t screw up again.”

“Rainbow Dash, it wasn’t your fault…” Pinkie Pie murmured.

Applejack sighed. “Can ya walk?” She addressed Pinkie Pie.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine, thanks to you.” Pinkie Pie stated, and wiped her eyes.

“Good.” Applejack began turning around. “We hafta get-Twilight!” She exclaimed, and sprinted to her friend’s limp body. She shook the unconscious mare vigorously, until Twilight emitted a low groan.

“I’m fine…” Twilight moaned, painstakingly pulling herself back to her hooves. “We need to… Need to…” She cringed in pain, and she held her head with one of her hooves. “We need to move. We’re halfway there.”

Applejack looked at her exhausted friend with pitying eyes, and then made a decision. She turned to Rainbow Dash, and nodded to her. The sky-blue mare nodded back, and Applejack turned back to Twilight. “Twi… We can’t risk any more stupid stunts like that last one…” She began.

“What… Do you mean by that?” Twilight breathed.

Applejack scratched the back of her head nervously. “Well Twi, ya see, you can barely stand up, an’ well…”

Rainbow Dash pushed Applejack out of her way, and stood in front of Twilight. “Twilight, I can carry Applejack to Ponyville from here, even with her armor.” She bluntly finished for Applejack. “I think that you and Pinkie should stay and rest here, and we’ll go deal with this monster.”

Twilight slammed her hoof on the ground, and gnashed her teeth together. “NO!” She screamed in defiance. “You will not leave us behind!”

“Yeah! I’m right as rain!” Pinkie Pie declared. “I know Twilight’s a complete mess, but why do I have to stay here?”

Twilight slowly turned to Pinkie Pie, a disgusted look on her face. “Thanks…” She grumbled.

“Cuz I said we can’t pull any more stupid stunts.” Applejack explained. “Rainbow Dash can only carry one o’ us. And Twilight could drop dead if she keeps goin.’” She narrowed her eyes. “No matter how much ya’ll pretend yer fine, I can tell yer both shaken up. Are ya’ll really prepared to fend off a manticore?”

The group fell silent, and a cool breeze blew over the grassy field they were occupying. As the wind blew against their bodies, Twilight finally realized how badly she was sweating. I feel queasy… But… My life isn’t all that’s at stake here… She resolved.

“We can’t waste any time. We should go.” Applejack dismissed herself.

“Go ahead, then.” Twilight agreed, much to the other’s surprise.

“What?” Pinkie Pie yelled.

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Glad ya see it my way.” Applejack stated smugly. “Dash, let’s move.”

Twilight walked over to Pinkie Pie. “You two should head right to Fluttershy’s house. We’re going to Rarity’s place.”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash muttered a second time.

“We’re teleporting to Rarity’s house. If you fly as fast as you can, you can be at Fluttershy’s seconds after we’re at Rarity’s.” Twilight declared.

Applejack slowly turned her head to Twilight. “Sugarcube, if ya teleport again, you’ll die.”

“No I won’t.” Twilight began to explain. “We’ve already cut half the distance from the castle to Ponyville, and since you two are flying, that’s half of the load gone. I’ll only need to use a fourth of the magic I would’ve originally used to teleport to Ponyville.” Twilight took a deep breath, and stood up straight. “I’m actually feeling better since I didn’t teleport down the mountain. I should have enough magic left to make the jump.”

Applejack took a step towards Twilight. “An’ what happens if ya don’t have the magic to teleport there?” She queried nervously.

Twilight’s eye’s narrowed. “If I don’t, then the teleport will use my physical strength to make the jump instead. And considering how I can barely stand right now…”

Applejack turned to Rainbow Dash for her opinion. “Twilight, even if you think you can make it, is it worth the risk?” Rainbow Dash questioned unsurely.

“That manticore is already in Ponyville by now.” Twilight justified. “Ponies could be being eaten right now, including Rarity and Fluttershy. I can’t wait here, knowing that there’s something I could’ve done to prevent it. And I refuse to allow you all to endanger yourselves because I was too scared to use my magic.” Twilight proudly raised her head, in a manner mimicking Celestia. “Nopony will die today if I can prevent it. And if somepony must die today… It will be me.”

The field fell silent once more, as Twilight made her stance perfectly clear. Applejack trotted over to Twilight, and threw her forelegs around her, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie joining in seconds later. “If ya really feel like that Twi, then reach out fer yer magic.” Applejack uttered into Twilight’s ear. “But promise me that if ya feel like ya can’t, then just forget about it. Can ya promise me that at least?” She pleaded.

“…I will.” Twilight promised, and then broke the embrace. “Hurry. We’ve wasted so much time here already.” She ordered, and then turned away to face Pinkie Pie.

“Let’s go, Rainbow.” Applejack called, and then jumped onto Rainbow Dash’s armored back.

“Ugh… You’re heavy!” Rainbow Dash complained.

“Shut up.” Applejack barked.

Rainbow Dash spread her wings, and began flapping them vigorously. She and Applejack lifted off the ground, and the flapping of her wings caused a wind large enough to ruffle Twilight’s mane. “Good luck, you two.” Rainbow Dash forced out.

“See ya in a few minutes!” Pinkie Pie chirped, and waved them off. Rainbow Dash nodded unhappily, and took off at a breakneck pace. Pinkie Pie turned to face Twilight, whose foreleg was now wrapping around her neck.

“Um… are you sure you can handle this, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie worried.

Twilight ignored her question. “Close your eyes, Pinkie. This could be unpleasant.” She warned, and Pinkie Pie immediately obliged.

Twilight shut her eyes, and took a very long, deep breath. Rarity’s house… Rarity’s house… Twilight searched through her mind for her destination, but her mind was completely black, and she couldn’t locate anything. Focus! An image of Rarity’s front door appeared in the black abyss, and Twilight quickly reached for her magic. She felt a pitiful amount of magic flow through her horn, and she began to doubt herself. Do I have enough left? It’s at least two miles… Twilight opened one of her eyes, and stared at Pinkie Pie. The pink pony had her eyes shut tight, completely relaxed. She trusts me… Twilight thought wistfully, shutting her eye again. No. Whether I have enough or not, I’m going to do it.

A familiar purple light surrounded the two mares, and Twilight felt the energy being siphoned from her body, in addition to her magic. But she didn’t care. She cast the spell, and the light consumed them, dragging them into the wormhole leading to Ponyville. They were kicked out of the rift at the very foot of Rarity’s house, and the closing hole emitted a loud “crack”, as opposed to the usual “pop” sound. Twilight instantly collapsed, steam now emanating from her body. The magic was drained from her completely, and the spell had taken its remaining toll from her body.

“Twilight!” Pinkie shouted, attempting to bring Twilight to her hooves, but she hadn’t the strength to stand.

Twilight was drifting in and out of consciousness, and she only vaguely heard Rarity’s door open. “You’re back… You came back…” A female voice breathed from inside the door. Twilight could only look straight ahead of herself, and she made out the legs of Rarity and Fluttershy standing before her.

“Rarity! Fluttershy! No time to explain!” Pinkie Pie blabbered. “There’s a manticore attacking Ponyville right now!”

Rarity gasped in shock. “A manticore?! We need to evacuate!”

Pinkie Pie violently shook her head. “No! Uh, well, see, we need to stop it! It’s gonna hurt everypony if we don’t! It’s already…” Pinkie Pie stopped talking, and looked around Ponyville. All of the colorful ponies were going about their daily lives, occasionally giving her a confused stare. “…Its not here yet?” She asked.

“No! Should it be?!” Rarity yelled at her.

Pinkie Pie turned back around. “Oookay, then I have a little time to explain. There’s a manticore approaching Ponyville, and Rainbow Dash and Applejack are probably finding it right now!”

“Applejack’s here?” Rarity asked wistfully.

“And Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy spoke up.

Rarity sighed elatedly. “So you all did come home…” She whispered.

“Yeah! Well, not really. I mean… We have to stop the manticore!” Pinkie Pie declared quickly.

Twilight forced her head to the left, and then to the right. Is it here? No… It isn’t. She attempted to gather her thoughts. There’s still time…

“Why must we stop it?” Rarity queried. “Why don’t the royal guards handle this?”

Pinkie Pie looked around herself, attempting to dodge the question. “Long story, but the guards are all busy right now. We’re kind of the only hope right now.”

“Busy?” Rarity gaped. “How can they all be busy?!”

“I told you it was a long story!” Pinkie Pie avoided the question.

“Twilight, are you feeling ok?” Fluttershy finally acknowledged the weary mare.

“She wore herself out!” Pinkie Pie explained. “She’s been teleporting all day, and she hasn’t been sleeping well, and we ran down a mountain on our way here… I think she used up all her magic on her last teleport here!”

“Did you say you ran down a mountain?” Fluttershy asked, but she was promptly ignored.

“Out of magic? Forcing teleports?” Rarity worried. “Good heavens, dearie! You’re lucky to be alive right now! You need a doctor!”

Twilight forced her head upright, and stared up at Rarity and Fluttershy from her prostrate position. “We need to move.” She attempted to sound assertive, but her voice came out in a cracked whisper. “I’ll… I’ll explain everything once we’ve… *gasp*… stopped the manticore.”

Fluttershy grew a look of fear in her teal eyes. “But… how could we…”

“Your way with animals.” Twilight panted. “It’s possible that this is the same manticore that… that you dealt with when we first met.”

Fluttershy gulped. “I-I… I have to stop it?”

“That’s the plan!” Pinkie Pie confirmed.

“Plan A, at least.” Twilight commented. “Don’t be afraid… We’ll be there with you, Fluttershy.”

Suddenly, a rush of wind blew from directly above Twilight. Her mane was tossed over her eyes, obstructing her vision, so she couldn’t make out what was above her. All of a sudden, she felt something grab her from behind, and lift her into the air. She couldn’t resist whatever was holding onto her, and she simply went limp. She was about to scream, when she was gently placed onto something cold and smooth, and she heard her friends let out an annoyed sigh. Twilight opened her eyes, and they were met by a layer of smooth, shiny, purple scales.

“Good heavens, Spike! Make your presence known next time! I thought you were some kind of monster!” Rarity chastised.

Twilight was dumbfounded. “When did you…”

“I flew over here after your teleport woke me up.” Spike clarified. He shrugged his shoulders, and shook his head jokingly. “Honestly, I think it woke the dead… Anyway, I overheard you all talking. I’ll carry Twilight to the forest.”

“You’re willing to go along with this, Spike?” Rarity continued to worry. “Is this truly the best plan?

“Yup!” Pinkie Pie answered without a thought.

Fluttershy took a step backwards. “Um, I don’t know if I…”

Before she could finish, a blood-curdling roar resonated from the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy squeaked, and cowered behind Rarity, while the group stood rooted in place. After a few seconds, Spike shook his head, and spread his large purple wings. He leapt into the air, and charged towards the Everfree Forest. Pinkie Pie nodded at Rarity and Fluttershy, and then turned away, and sprinted away after Spike. Rarity inhaled deeply, reluctantly grabbed Fluttershy with her magic, and began running after them.

The citizens of Ponyville silently stepped out of the way of the parade charging through the town. They watched them run by, every bit as curious as to what had caused the ear-splitting roar. Since they were running at top speed, they arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage in a manner of seconds. The chickens at the cottage were up in arms, the birds were chirping loudly and repeatedly, and all the animals inside were tearing it apart, clamoring to be let out. All of them had been scared out of their simple minds by the chilling roar. Fluttershy stopped in front of her cottage, and started comforting the rowdy animals.

“Shush, shush, it’s ok, little ones…” She whispered.

Pinkie Pie stopped herself, and tapped her hoof impatiently in front of Fluttershy. “Uh, Fluttershy? I think there’s something important we need to be doing right now.” She said accusingly.

Fluttershy snapped to attention, and started following the group to the edge of the forest. As soon as Spike neared the edge of the forest, Rainbow Dash and Applejack burst through the dark green bushes.

“Applejack!” Rarity called out.

“Shssh!” Applejack hissed. She was panting, and she slowly took in the sight in front of her. “Good, ya brought everypony.”

Rainbow Dash brushed off her armor, and turned to Fluttershy. “It’s right through here, Fluttershy. We can’t stall it anymore.” She whispered.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “So then…”

Rainbow Dash seemed genuinely worried. “You’ve done this before. It’s just angry. Do you think you can calm it down again?” She asked, her voice dripping with dread.

Everyone turned to Fluttershy, awaiting her answer. Under the watchful eyes of her friends, she began to tremble in fear. Her eyes shot back and forth, searching for an excuse, another solution, anything to get her out of her situation. Her eyes met Rainbow Dash’s, and then, for some reason, calmed down. “Yes, I can.” She decided.

Rainbow Dash smiled at her. “Let’s go, then.”

Twilight painstakingly lifted her head off of Spike’s back. “Everypony else, be ready to protect her if something goes wrong.” She instructed.

“Thanks fer the vote o’ confidence.” Applejack murmured.

Twilight glared at her, but then looked forward. “Let’s move.” She declared, and rested her head back down.

Everyone nodded in acknowledgement, and entered the forest through the bushes, Applejack and Rainbow Dash leading the march. The unpleasant stillness of the woods soon surrounded the group as they moved deeper and deeper into the dark, living forest. Every snapped twig caused them all to jump in place, and their march was shrouded in tense silence.

Every step felt like an eternity for the group, but they had only walked for a minute when Rainbow Dash extended her wing, and whispered, “There it is.” She pointed to a slight clearing in the dark woods, and sure enough, hunched over in front of a tree was the silhouette of a large manticore. The rest of the group took notice of it, and Rarity had to stop herself from gasping. Even when shrouded in the darkness of the Everfree Forest, the mares could tell that the beast was at least twice the size of a pony. Its dark orange lion body alone was twice as large as Spike, and its red batwings simply dwarfed him. Its deep red scorpion tail was slowly flicking around, and from its hunched over position, the manticore’s red mane was barely visible. Its face was invisible from where the group was standing, and they made sure to avoid its line of sight.

“You all ready?” Twilight asked, her voice barely louder than her breathing. She looked around herself from her elevated position, receiving nods of confirmation from the rest of her friends. “Begin plan A.” She ordered, utterly serious.

“Wait.” Rarity whispered. “Are we truly going to make Fluttershy do this?” She asked skeptically. “We can’t-”

At that moment, a twig snapped a few paces in front of Rarity, and she yelped in surprise. A few paces in front of her was Fluttershy, who was walking straight towards the monster, all traces of her fear vanishing. “Hello, Mister Manticore?” She fearlessly addressed the beast. Its pointed ears stood up, and it turned its head slightly. “Do you remember me? I took that splinter out of your paw a few years ago.”

Rarity was nervously watching the scene before her unfold, starting to breathe heavily. “She’s fine.” Rainbow Dash whispered into her ear assuringly. “She’s dealt with dragons in the past. She can handle this.”

“What’s upsetting you, big guy?” Fluttershy soothed, as she closed the distance between herself and the manticore. “You can show me. I might be able to help you…” She placed her hoof on the manticore’s back, and its heavy breathing stopped. Fluttershy smiled comfortingly. “I know you’re not a bad monster…” She whispered.

Everypony let out a quiet sigh of relief when Fluttershy was touching the manticore. The group stopped whispering amongst themselves as they awaited the manticore’s response. “Mister Manticore?” Fluttershy asked calmly.

In less than a second, the manticore spun around, causing Fluttershy to flinch. Before she could react at all, the monster lashed out with its paw, and smacked Fluttershy away. The calm silence was brutally shattered, and Rainbow Dash instantly flared her wings and took flight. “Fluttershy!” She screamed, racing to catch her. She was fast enough to intercept the yellow pegasus mid-flight, and the pair tumbled through the air. Rainbow Dash powerfully flapped her wings, managed to cancel their velocity, and came to a stop in midair.

Rainbow Dash’s scream had alerted the manticore to the rest of the group, and it turned to face them, finally granting them a look at its face. Its eyes were glowing a bright green color, and purple vapors were leaking from them as well. Its glowing eyes were wide open, and its mouth was curled into a vicious snarl. It gnashed its teeth together, grabbed its head with its paws, and screeched violently to the sky.

The rest of the group was still in shock from the sequence of events. “So, uh, what’s plan B?” Pinkie Pie questioned anxiously.

The sound of unsheathing metal resounded from beside Twilight, and everyone turned to face it. “We kill it.” Applejack declared, her chain-knife clenched in her teeth.

Adrenaline now coursing through her veins, Twilight leapt off of Spike’s back, and began to assess the situation. Her legs nearly buckled when she landed, but she didn’t allow her body to give out. Rainbow Dash descended to the ground, cradling Fluttershy in her forelegs. “She’s still conscious. She just got the wind knocked out of her.” She told Rarity, and then rested Fluttershy on a nearby tree. Fluttershy’s eyes and mouth were wide open in surprise, and she was barely breathing. Rainbow Dash angrily drew both of her blades, snapping their sleeves into place around her hooves. “We can’t let this thing near Ponyville.” She growled.

“You can’t fight a manticore!” Spike shouted.

Rainbow Dash turned away from the group. “Watch me.” She muttered defiantly. “Pinkie! AJ! Let’s go!”

Applejack didn’t hesitate, and she leapt forward, hurling her knife at the large creature before them. Rainbow Dash spread her wings, and bolted forward. Pinkie Pie smiled at Rarity and Twilight, and then wordlessly drew an oversized hammer from her saddle-bag, and charged forward.

The manticore roared once more, and leapt nimbly away from Applejack’s chain-knife, which clattered to the forest floor. Rainbow Dash charged at it from the air, bringing down her blades on it. Her attack left no impact however, as the manticore quickly swiped her away. Pinkie Pie attempted to flank it, but its massive red tail lashed out at her, forcing her to leap backwards. Applejack closed the distance between her and the manticore, and once again hurled her knife at it, this time striking from its right side. It curved in midair, and struck the manticore’s right arm, piercing it deeply. Black blood spurted out of the injury, and the manticore bellowed in rage. It rushed at Applejack, much faster than it should have been able to run. It bowled over her, launching her into the nearest tree. All of the air in her lungs was forced out of her, but she forced herself back up regardless.

Twilight and Spike watched in horror, as Rarity tended to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy! Stay with us, darling!” She frantically yelled.

“They really can’t fight a manticore…” Twilight gaped. “Applejack was lucky she had armor to protect her right there…”

Fluttershy violently gasped for air, and hacked loudly. Rarity held her in her forelegs, and ordered her, “Don’t try to move! You could be injured!”

Spike looked over at Twilight expectantly. “What should we do?” He questioned.

Rainbow Dash charged the manticore from its left side, faster than it could react. She swung her twin blades, and sliced through the beast’s orange shoulder. It howled in pain as a small amount of black blood trickled down its arm, and it brought down its sharp claws on her. Her golden armor protected her from being cut open, but the force of the blow still sent her spiraling away. She crashed into a line of bushes, and her helmet was knocked off of her head. Before the manticore could recover its senses, Pinkie Pie leapt into the air, and brought her hammer down on its head, stunning it for a brief moment as it cried out violently.

They can’t beat it like this. Twilight thought hopelessly. What do we do? Think, Twilight!

The three mares took a moment to brush off their own injuries, and jointly moved to attack the monster. They converged on it, all of them swinging at once. Unfortunately, the monster was ready for them. It unexpectedly flared its red bat wings to their full extent, and slapped Rainbow Dash out of the air with them. “Damnit!” She gritted her teeth in frustration, as she spiraled away from her target. In sync with its wing flare, the manticore quickly rotated to its side, and, using its scorpion tail, hit Pinkie Pie mid-jump out of the air. She yelped in surprise, as she was rocketed back to the ground, but managed to save herself. With its attention no longer divided, the manticore turned to Applejack, whose knife was now mere inches away from its left side. This time, the manticore batted the knife away with its thick left paw, expecting Applejack to stall. But, to its surprise, she let her knife fly away, and simply charged at the manticore, ramming its injured shoulder with her armored one. Black blood oozed out of the freshly ruptured injury, and the manticore screamed in agony. Applejack couldn’t back away after her attack, and the manticore slashed her with its claws, piercing straight through her armor, and raking her orange chest. Blood leaked out of Applejack’s chest as she tumbled away, the hard ground further injuring her. The manticore’s glowing green eyes were lit up with rage, and it roared once more.

Spike gaped at the spectacle, and once more turned to Twilight. “Twilight! What do we do?!” He shouted in panic.

The gears in Twilight’s head continued turning as she frantically thought of what to do. Her eyes widened as she received a sudden impulse, as if something was calling to her. She gritted her teeth as she realized what she had to do in order to save her friends. “Come on, Spike.” She demanded, and then turned away from the battle before her.

Spike whirled around, and shouted accusingly, “We’re running away?!”

Twilight ignored his accusation, and ran up to Rarity and Fluttershy. “I need you two to get up. Do you need Spike to carry you, Fluttershy?”

“Where are we going?” Rarity demanded. “She’s in no condition to walk and neither are you!”

“Would you prefer to leave her here? With a rampaging manticore?!” Twilight silenced her angrily. “We need to head deeper into the forest! Now!”

“What?!” Spike shouted, not understanding anything.

“Hurry! Do you want everypony to die?!” Twilight shouted rhetorically.

Heeding Twilight’s words, Fluttershy forced herself to her hooves. “…I can walk.” She whispered, and then violently coughed.

“Fluttershy!” Rarity cried out.

“I’ll explain as we go!” Twilight promised, beginning to sprint deeper into the forest.

Spike immediately gave chase, but Rarity and Fluttershy hesitated, taking another look at the ensuing struggle. The manticore was charging at the wounded Applejack, until Rainbow Dash rammed into its right side. “I’m over here!” She taunted it.

“…Be careful…” Rarity whispered, and then gave chase to Twilight, Fluttershy right behind her.

Twilight and Spike continued to sprint through the dark woods, never changing direction, which caused Spike to grow unsettled. “Twilight, where are we going?!” He yelled between his breaths.

Twilight didn’t answer for a few seconds, but then flatly stated, “The Tree of Harmony.”

Understanding washed over Spike immediately, and he screeched to a halt and spread his wings. “Go on ahead! I’ll be right there!” He shouted to Twilight, and then took off into the sky. Twilight made no attempt to stop him, and soon, Rarity and Fluttershy caught up to her, which caused her to pick up her pace.

The three mares continued moving as quickly as possible, Fluttershy flying alongside the others as they ran. They were forced to weave through familiar obstacles, such as chasms and rivers, but they were able to pass them easily. Eventually, they came to the giant staircase leading downwards, with a wall of black to its left side. The group knew what awaited them at the bottom, and without so much as catching their breath, Twilight and Rarity galloped down the staircase, Fluttershy flying beside them in case they fell. Upon reaching the bottom, they finished their journey, and stood before the blue, radiant Tree of Harmony.

Twilight approached the Tree, and suddenly felt that something was wrong. The Elements of Harmony were hanging halfway out of their sockets, and the tree itself was giving off a much dimmer light than before. It looks like it’s… rejecting the Elements.  In fact, the whole tree feels off… Twilight observed. Were you what called me here?

“Twilight!” Rarity panted behind her. “Now will you tell us what we’re doing here?”

Twilight shook off her thoughts, and turned to her friends. “Help me grab the Elements of Harmony!” The other two mares gave her baffled expressions, so she quickly explained, “For some reason, the Tree of Harmony isn’t stopping the monsters in the forest anymore. If it won’t stop the monsters, then we have to. And in order to do that, we need the Elements back.”

“But we haven’t needed the Elements for years!” Rarity argued. “I thought just being together caused the Element’s power!”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m not really sure, but I’m pretty sure we’ve been able to use our powers because the Tree of Harmony was shining brightly with the Elements. It doesn’t seem that way anymore, so at least for now, we have to go back to the old-fashioned way.” Rarity and Fluttershy nodded their heads in agreement. “The Elements are already loose, so I should be able to pull them out.” Twilight focused her magic on the Element of Magic and the Element of Loyalty, and attempted to light up her horn. But as she did, she felt a tidal wave of exhaustion wash over her, and her head began throbbing. She abandoned the spell, and gripped her aching head with her hooves, panting heavily.

“Allow us, darling.” Rarity requested, and then lit up her own horn. Fluttershy flew up to the Tree, and began pulling out Elements of Harmony. Rarity grasped four in her magical grip, and Fluttershy held one in each hoof. The spaces in the Tree of Harmony resealed after each respective Element was removed. The two mares regrouped around Twilight, who was recovering from her spontaneous exhaustion. “So, we’re using these against that monster?” Rarity inquired.

“Yes.” Twilight responded. “We have to hurry up. I can fit two Elements in my saddle-bag.”

“And we can both carry two.” Fluttershy stated.

“Then let us move!” Rarity chanted, and stuffed two of the Elements into Twilight’s saddle-bag. She began to run up the large staircase, Fluttershy flying beside her. Twilight was about to run as well, but she stopped, and took in the Tree of Harmony one last time.

Something about the Tree agitated Twilight, and she continued to stare at it for a few seconds. She forced herself to look away, and told herself, You’ll sort this out later. You need to run. She then started to gallop up the large staircase as fast as she could, quickly catching her two friends. The three mares ran even faster than before, Elements of Harmony in hoof, letting the thoughts of their friends fuel their movements. They ran, and ran, and ran, so fast that they returned to the battle in a matter of minutes. The small group was promptly intercepted by Spike, who was panting every bit as much as they were. Twilight grinned when she noticed what he was cradling in his arms, the five necklaces and one tiara for the Elements of Harmony. Twilight nodded to him, and he wordlessly nodded back, both of them understanding what they had to do.

Spike and Twilight turned to their right, and charged through the bushes in front of them, reappearing on the battlefield of the manticore. The battle was still raging, and the three armor-clad mares were currently dancing around the beast, trying their hardest to avoid its massive paws. Applejack’s chest was bleeding badly, but she seemed to pay it no mind as she jumped about. Rainbow Dash was sporting multiple minor injuries around her body, while Pinkie Pie was only covered in a few small bruises. Wasting no more time, Twilight took her tiara from Spike, removed the Element of Magic from her saddle-bag, and placed it into the tiara’s slot. She placed it on her head, and cried out, “Rainbow Dash! Applejack! Pinkie Pie! Quickly!”

Her three friends snuck a glance at her, and their eyes widened when they saw her tiara. After taking a few seconds to process the sight before them, they sheathed their weapons, and sprinted to Twilight’s side. The manticore howled in anger, and gave chase. Quick as a bolt of lightning, Spike dropped the necklaces onto the ground, inhaled deeply, and spewed green fire in between him and the manticore. He continued exhaling fire until he had formed a solid wall of purple-and-green flames around the group. Primal fear overpowered the manticore’s rage, stopping it in its tracks, giving the ponies the time they needed. Spike wiped his mouth, and shouted to the group, “Hurry! Those flames won’t last forever!”

Rarity and Fluttershy had caught up with the others, and laid the four Elements they had on the ground next to the necklaces. The five mares were scrambling to put their necklaces together, while Twilight and Spike watched the firewall before them. “Hm.” Rarity muttered. “It really has been a while since we’ve used these, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Mine’s the lightning bolt, right?”

“No, it’s the apple.” Applejack spat dryly. Fluttershy had her eyes on her respective Element and necklace, but she patiently waited for the others to get theirs. Applejack pressed her orange apple gemstone into its slot, and slung the necklace around her neck. “Done.” She declared.

Pinkie Pie was staring intently at the ground, her blue eyes squinting in concentration. “All right, joke’s over, which one of you swiped my Element?”

“Why would anypony steal your Element at a time like this?” Rainbow Dash scolded her.

“Maybe somepony thinks it’s funny, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie shouted accusingly.

Rarity pressed her purple diamond gemstone into place, and put on her own necklace. “Finished.” She reported, and then levitated Fluttershy’s necklace to her.

Sweat beaded down Twilight’s face as she watched the fire begin dying down. “Hurry up!” She screamed behind her.

“I can’t find it!” Pinkie Pie began panicking.

“Did… Did I drop it?” Fluttershy despaired.

Pinkie Pie started frantically searching around herself, and then she froze. A look of embarrassment spread across her face, and she stood up. In the spot where she had been sitting was a blue balloon gemstone. She grinned sheepishly at her friends, who were glaring murderously at her. “Who cares right now?! Just put it on!” Rainbow Dash ordered before gliding over to Twilight. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy simultaneously followed suit, with Pinkie Pie bringing up the rear. The five mares lined up beside Twilight, who, noticing her friends, readied herself.

“Get ready.” She warned everypony. They all braced themselves, waiting for the wall of fire to die down. “Focus. Remember why Celestia chose us. Why the Elements chose us.” Twilight turned her head around, and gave a wholehearted smile to her friends, remembering what was most important to her. “Remember that we’re friends. No matter what. All of us.” All of the mares smiled back at her, and Twilight turned back around. She shut her eyes, concentrating. For them… For my friends. She clung to that thought, as she began to feel the Elements’ magic coursing through her. The other five mares did the same, as Spike watched his flames.

As the last of the purple flames faded away, Spike screamed, “NOW!”

Twilight opened her eyes, which were now blazing with a white light. She and her friends were lifted into the air by the power of the Elements, and a radiant white light surrounded them. The manticore was frozen in place once more, and didn’t move an inch. With their attention focused on the monster, the Elements of Harmony launched a rainbow into the sky, which arched in the air, and fell towards the manticore. The rainbow washed over the manticore like a tsunami of colored light, and a visible shadow was ripped from its body, which evaporated into the air. The manticore let out an ear-splitting scream as the darkness was torn from it, being drowned out by the Element’s power. With its task completed, the rainbow then rocketed into the sky, and Twilight and her friends were lowered back to the ground.

The mares started panting heavily, the toll of the Elements adding to their already exhausted bodies. Twilight smiled, and she looked forward, eager to see the Element’s handiwork. But her heart stopped beating, and her eyes widened as she saw the manticore stand back up on all fours, and slowly begin approaching them. “No…” She whispered.

The manticore slowly headed past Twilight, and started approaching Fluttershy. Fluttershy saw the beast walking closer to her, and she forced herself up. She began to back away, and Rainbow Dash struggled to pick herself up. “Fluttershy… no…” She murmured.

The manticore continued to close the distance between itself and Fluttershy, who scrambled backwards, never taking her eyes off of the approaching danger. She backed away further and further, until her back collided with the thick trunk of a tree. Her body froze up in fear, and the manticore continued to inch closer to her. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were trying as hard as they could to force themselves to their hooves, their heavy armor causing them to constantly stumble and collapse with every attempt. The orange monster closed all further distance between itself and Fluttershy, now standing on its hind legs directly in front of her. After a few seconds, it reached out, and grabbed Fluttershy with its paws. The remaining five mares froze up, and watched the scene in awestruck terror.

Then, suddenly, the beast opened its mouth, and began licking Fluttershy lovingly. Fluttershy’s eyes lit up in shock, and she began laughing fearfully. “Um, nice to see you again?” She whispered, bewildered by her situation. The other mares heaved a sigh of relief, as the manticore continued licking Fluttershy. Eventually, the manticore purred, and set her down. Fluttershy smiled at it, and cooed, “I knew you weren’t a bad monster.” The manticore purred again, and then looked over itself, and was shocked to see that it was oozing black blood. “I’ll come and bandage those wounds in a little bit, ok?” Fluttershy promised it. The manticore smiled, nodded, and then walked away from the group, deeper into the Everfree Forest, blissfully unaware of the events that had just transpired.

Rainbow Dash flew over to Fluttershy, and swept her into an embrace of her own. “Whew! I thought we were done for there!” She cheered hysterically.

“We… we did it.” Rarity stammered, and then collapsed onto her hind legs.

Applejack smiled at the white unicorn. “We sure did, sugarcube. Ya really came through fer us.”

Pinkie Pie leapt into the air, her bouncy energy making its return. “Woohoo! Another monster to add to add to our bestiary!” She cheered.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy broke their embrace, and flew back to the group. “Actually Pinkie Pie, we didn’t really beat it…” Fluttershy whispered.

“Besides, ‘manticore’ is already in our bestiary.” Rainbow Dash added.

“Pfft! I dunno what you’re talkin’ about! That manticore ran away with its tail between its legs!” Spike bragged.

The mares chuckled, and Rarity smiled at Spike. “You were very brave, Spike.” She praised him.

Spike grew a toothy grin, and struck a ridiculous pose. “Yeah, I’m pretty awesome.” He gloated.

The five mares all burst into hysterical laughter, which continued for quite some time. The jokes and silly faces continued on, as the group celebrated their victory. At that moment, they were all just happy to be alive. But as her friends continued to celebrate, Twilight struggled to remain standing. Her body had exhausted all of its energy, and her magic was completely gone. She tried as hard as she could to remain standing, but the Elements of Harmony had siphoned the last of her stamina. Her legs collapsed under the weight of her own body, and she fell limp to the ground, no longer moving as she lay cold on the dark ground of the Everfree Forest.