The Puppetmaster

by XSomeGuyX

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Adventure, Dark, Comedy
Length: 15007

Equestria, a place many regard as a utopia. A place in which all its residence happily live their lives. But what should happen if one pony is not satisfied with his lot in life? Who is this mysterious figure and what does he plan to accomplish?

Equestria, it is a peaceful, colorful place with equally tame and amiable citizens. It would be hard to believe that somepony would not be able to find his life satisfying enough. But what would happen if such a pony exists, one with an insatiable lust for something more? Who is this pony and why does he feel this way? What does he seek? How does he plan on achieving it?

The stallion that had infiltrated the library seems have sparked a growth in Ponyville's resident dragon. But why? His actions and motives remain shrouded in mystery as the Mane 6 search for a way to remedy Spike's situation.

This story will include a handful of OCs but it will not be OC centric. This story will almost exclusively follow the Mane 6 and Spike. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Note: The summary will be updated as the story progresses.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-02-06 04:37:44 UTC

Setting the Stage

Setting the Stage

The coronation of the new princess had passed just a few weeks ago, and she was about to be allowed to return to her Ponyville home. Her friends were busy planning a rather large “Welcome Home” party, a decision of course made by the party pony herself, Pinkie Pie. Her plans had everypony—and dragon—running every which way to assure that everything was perfect for Twilight’s return.

Each had been given a specific duty by the experienced party planner. Applejack was to prepare all the cuisine for the event while Rarity and Pinkie were off choosing the decor. Rainbow Dash was the relay between all of them, carrying everything from messages to streamers and balloons. Fluttershy was allowed to get the music for the event ready, using her trusty avian friends to provide a soothing song for their new princess’s arrival. Finally, Spike was to get the library ready for the big finale, where the six mares and their dragon friend would exclusively hang out and catch up on all the happenings that the new princess had gone through after her coronation. All her friends found themselves strapped for time as her return loomed.

Spike was especially busy in her absence. Though he could have chosen to stay in Canterlot with her while her royal duties were sorted out, he ultimately decided to return to Ponyville ahead of her. He had grown fond of his new home over the years they had spent there. He did a good job of holding down the fort while she was away. Though he was temporarily free from the responsibilities of assisting Twilight in her studies, he had begun serving as the pro-tempore librarian, a job usually filled by the missing unicorn. Between this, the daily maintenance and helping get the library properly decorated for the party, the dragon found himself in a deep and well deserved sleep that night.

Unbeknownst to him, he had an intruder with him in his home. An earth pony—a stallion—had waited patiently for night to fall and made sure to scope out his surroundings for any late night stragglers. He crept at an agonizingly slow pace, trying to space the creaks his hoofsteps made on the old wooden floor. He knew he could not afford to risk any noise that would wake the sleeping dragon. One misplaced hoof and his plans would all be for naught. The stallion carefully closed each door and window in such an order that the last he closed was nearest to the unsuspecting dragon. Leaving only the front door open to make his exit, he began making his way to Spike.

The intruder could feel his heart miss a beat as he paused for a second after Spike had suddenly rolled over onto his side. He took very light steps as he closed the gap to a mere foot away, being careful not to make any unnecessary sounds. Quietly, he rustled through his saddlebag to find a large batch of some kind of herb. Striking a match also produced from his bags, he lit the herb and settled the smoldering plant next to the dragon’s bed, allowing him to intake the smoke as he slept, all the while holding his own breath.

Giving a satisfied smile, he crept out of the bedroom and out of the library, leaving the herb to do its work.

The dawn’s light splashed onto Spike’s closed eyes as he fought to stay asleep just a bit longer. Unfortunately, it was a losing battle for the dragon as the light intensified. Eventually, he gave in and awoke with his usual stretch and yawn. However, his yawn reminded him more of a ferocious roar from one of the grown dragons he had encountered. It even came with a rather large stream of fire, much larger than anything he ever remembered producing.

These abnormal happenings scared him fully awake. Standing up, he looked down to find he had crushed his bed into nothing but frayed straw mixed with the feathers from his small pillow. Rushing to the bathroom, he found he no longer needed his stepstool to reach the sink and look at himself in the mirror. But what he saw shocked him much more. It was not his usual pudgy baby dragon face, but what seemed closer to the narrow faces of some of the dragons he met during the Great Dragon Migration. His eyes were no longer round but slender with slit-like pupils. His body followed the shape of his face, slim and long.

Spike attempted to prop his arm against the sink, finding himself nearly falling over from the disbelief. To his surprise, he still fell straight onto the floor. Picking himself up, he examined the sink. Where he believed he had laid his claw, he only found deep gashes. Briefly looking at his claw, he decided to test it once again against the sink. They easily sliced right through the white porcelain, like a hot knife through butter.

He rushed through the library in a state of panic, not knowing what had happened to him. His first thought was of Rarity and the trouble he had caused the last time he had found himself like this. He thought back but he could not remember ever acting greedy at any point in the recent past. But there was no other way that could explain his sudden growth. He then remembered during his last greed-induced growth spurt, he had blacked out during his hoarding spree and could not recall what had happened.

Running up to the bedroom, he found no hoard of any kind. He had not been mindlessly gathering items just to keep them to himself. If he had not been acting greedy, then he had no clue what could have sparked this. Raking his brain to find a reason, he let out a loud stressed grunt and, just as before, he let out a large cloud of fire, setting ablaze the decorations meant for Twilight’s return.

Spike’s eyes widened as he manically put out the fire he caused. He eventually succeeded after pouring several buckets of water onto the blaze, but not until the flame had consumed most of the decorations and even spreading to some of the library’s books. Spike panted as he stared at the wet, charred remains of a large segment of the library.

“Oh no, oh no,” he said to himself, small puffs of fire escaping his mouth with each word he spoke even in his low volume. He wondered how all the ponies would react to his new form. They constantly mentioned how scary the grown dragons were and, though not fully grown, he was plenty scary with stronger fire breath and razor sharp claws. Would they run away from him or would they shun him because of his destructiveness? No, they were too close to him to do either, he trusted them. But could he trust himself?

He had basically ruined a sink just by leaning on it and burned down half the library by accident. He could not control his new powerful breath and he did not know what to do with his claws to dull them down. Twilight was set to return in a couple of days. He could only imagine what she or the ponies might say about his strange and rapid transformation. He began to dread the thought of him accidentally hurting any of his friends, especially Rarity or Twilight. He was not about to let that happen.

He thought and thought but could only come up with one solution, one that would resolve his fears, but would also mean a big sacrifice on his part. Spike quickly gathered a quill and scroll, though writing a note proved futile. His claws tore the paper to shreds and grasping the quill only sliced it into tiny pieces. It only served as proof that his new grown form would cause problems for everypony, however unintentional. He sighed downheartedly as he opened the library’s front door. Spike was surprised to find the klutzy Derpy Hooves on the other side of the doorway.

“Hi, Spike! Here’s your mail!” the mobile disaster pony smiled at the distraught dragon, apparently not even noticing his growth, as she held a stack of letters in her mouth.

He more or less ignored the grey pegasus as he ran off as fast as he could. He headed to the only place that he could think of that suited a dragon: the Everfree Forest.

“Hey, Spike! Pinkie just sent me over to bring some more stuff for the…” Rainbow Dash paused as she entered the ruined library. “Whoa, what happened here?”

Sifting through the soggy remains of a burnt bookshelf, the blue pegasus could not find anything around that would start a fire so destructive. Continuing her investigation, she found the crushed bed of their dragon friend, which only added to her growing list of question. Finally, her search lead her to bathroom where the sink had deep gashes going down its length. Suddenly, she put everything together. The burned bookshelf, crushed bed, claw markings, they all lead Rainbow to remember Spike’s rampage through Ponyville.

“Uh-oh…” the blue pegasus said to herself as she dropped the party supplies and flew off to warn the rest of their gang. The first that she felt she needed to warn was none other than the dragon’s longtime crush, the pony he had kidnapped during his first little run through Ponyville as a full-fledged dragon.

In his last destructive run through Ponyville, Spike had taken Rarity hostage. So she was definitely the first on Rainbow’s list to check up on. Flying into the boutique, the blue daredevil found her friend going about her normal business of designing new “fabulous” fashion lines.

“Rarity!” Rainbow Dash yelled, causing the dress maker to jump and scatter her materials about.

“Rainbow Dash! You must really learn to knock!” Rarity said, raising her voice a bit.

“There’s no time for that!” she shouted, only to see that her friend stopped paying attention to her. “Rarity!”

“No, not until you’ve learned how rude barging into someone else’s home is,” Rarity told her, turning her back to Rainbow Dash.

“Ugh!” Rainbow Dash groaned, slapping a hoof over her face. With an annoyed look, she flew out of the room’s window and knocked. However, Rarity only seemed to ignore the knock, which only caused her to knock much more violently.

“RARITY!” she yelled.

“Yes?” Rarity opened the window and allowed her to enter.

“Have you seen Spike lately?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Why no, I haven’t,” Rarity answered. “Why do you ask? Did something happen to my Spikey-Wikey?”

“Well, I don’t know, but he sure did a number on the library,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh no… do you mean?” Rarity said, remembering the same incident as the rainbow-maned pegasus.

“Like I said, I don’t know,” Rainbow Dash replied. “He wasn’t in the library and I haven’t seen him anywhere around Ponyville.”

“We should warn the others,” she suggested.

“That’s the plan!” Rainbow Dash told her as she dragged the dress maker out of her shop.

After small search, the group had finally gathered together, but all claimed that they had not seen hide nor scale of the missing dragon. Asking the rest of the other ponies in town gave the same result. No pony had seen Spike the whole day. With nothing else to go on, the mares gathered at the library, hoping to find some clue of what had happened.

“Maybe Spike didn’t do this! Maybe it was some sort of super, gigantic meteor that crashed into the library and kidnapped Spike and took him into space!” the ever-imaginative Pinkie Pie gave her explanation, receiving only blank stares from her friends.

“Well, back in reality…” Rainbow Dash said.

“It doesn’t seem like we’re having any luck here, darlings,” Rarity told her friends.

“And no pony has seen him in Ponyville,” Fluttershy added.

“I think we’ve hit dead end y’all,” Applejack concluded as each hung their heads.

A sudden crash through the window startled all the mares. It was none other than local mailpony, Derpy Hooves.

“Uh… are you ok, Derpy?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Oh! Hi, Rainbow Dash! I guess Spike still isn’t back yet!” Derpy said, smiling as though her crash landing did not even faze her.

“Are you saying you’ve seen, Spikey-wi… I mean, Spike?” Rarity asked the mailpony.

“Mm-hmm,” the grey mare hummed, never once losing her smile. “He looked like he was in a hurry! He didn’t even have time to get his mail from me! Guess he was late to something in the Everfree Forest! He ran all the way there!”

“The Everfree Forest!” the mares all yelled in unison, quickly heading out the door.

“Maybe there’s some sort of party there… I wanna go to the party too!” Derpy thought out loud as she followed the mares, still totally oblivious to the situation. “WAIT FOR ME, GUYS!!!”

“One last delivery and I’m done for today!” a blue-hatted pegasus said to himself. Pausing for a second, he produced a small scroll from his rather large saddlebags detailing many names and addresses, most of which were crossed out, except for one at very bottom. “‘To: Spike the Dragon, Golden Oaks Library; From:…’ Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

“Oh boy, I got to be careful with this one! I didn’t think they’d be testing us this soon!” the beige stallion thought out loud. Lowering the scroll, he saw a flash of bright color send him for whirl. Before he was able to regain his bearings, a grey streak sent him into a second uncontrollable spin. Grabbing his head, the pegasus waited for his eyes to return from their thousandth trip around their respective sockets.

“Some ponies just don’t ever watch where they’re going… Well, at least I still have… Oh no…” the stallion desperately rummaged through his saddlebags, trying to find something that was no longer there. “This isn’t happening, not with this package!”

Looking to the land below, he found that he had been hovering over the Everfree Forest. It was impossible to see through the thicket, there was no telling where the package could have landed. He concluded that his best bet was to dive straight down and hope that the package did not fall too far from there.

“It’s no use… I can’t see anything from up there!” Rainbow Dash said, frustrated. “And Derpy isn’t helping much either…”

“Looks like we’re just gonna have to hoof it then!” Applejack told the rest of the mares.

“The Everfree Forest is HUGE! We’ll never find him in there!” Pinkie replied.

“We can’t just leave Spikey-Wikey all alone in that dreadful forest!” Rarity argued. “Perhaps if we can divide up the forest, I’m sure we would be able to find him.”

“What if we get lost?” Fluttershy said. “It’s already getting dark…”

“Fluttershy has a point there, Rarity,” Applejack interjected. “It’s gettin’ mighty close to sundown. The forest just ain’t safe at night. We should wait until tomorrow, then we can go in find Spike, first thing in the morning.”

“Do you really think that the kid can hold out until morning by himself?” Rainbow Dash joined in. “Like you said, the forest is dangerous at night. That’s why we’ve gotta find him!”

The friends explosively argued about their next course of action, except for the soft-spoken yellow pegasus, who merely tried her best to keep the peace.

Spike sat on a short stump. He had been wandering the forest area the whole day, hoping to find some sort of shelter before nightfall. However, most of the caves in the area were already the lairs of adult dragons and they apparently had not learned the virtue of sharing. So he was forced to dwell outside, but, luckily for him, most creatures in the forest had learned to steer clear of dragons, even if not fully grown.

Spike sighed deeply already feeling homesick from the mere thought that he would not see the ponies he called his family again. He felt guilty not being able to tell any of them about his reason for running away, but he believed that it was for the best. This way they could not come looking for him and could go back to living their normal lives.

Suddenly, he heard something brushing past the leaves and branches of the nearby trees. He panicked at first, believing that it could have been one of the mares looking for him. But his heart calmed down as he saw a small box plop onto the dirt floor. Curiosity got the better of him as he moved in to examine the package. Its trip through the trees had damaged it and even ripped off the tag that would have revealed to whom it was to be delivered and from whom it was from. He reached to grab it but remembered that his new claws would only finish the job the trees had started.

A sudden rustle of the brush caused the dragon to jump. It did not come from the trees above but from the bushes below. A head suddenly poked out from the leafy mess. Not that of a mare but of a stallion. He did not seem to notice the dragon as he fell, face first, out of the bush.

“Oww…” the stallion said as he picked himself back up, retrieving his hat that had been caught by the prickly vines. “Come on! It has to be around here somewhere!”

Giving the area a quick look over, he found himself being stared down by a dragon. But by the dragon he saw the package he had been looking for. Successfully delivering this royal package was definitely a priority on his list, he could not simply leave it. Swallowing his fear, he approached Spike.

“Uh…” he opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. The dragon he saw before him was not an adult, but he did stand just a good head and a half taller than himself.

“Is this-” Spike began, but quickly clamped his over his mouth. The fire that spouted from his mouth as he spoke just barely missed the stallion. “I’m sorr…”

His attempt on an apology backfired as his breath caught the stallion’s hat, setting it aflame. Abandoning his hat, the stallion tried to stomp the fire out, but he was not fast enough to save it. Spike saw the tan stallion mope over the ash and singed cloth that used to be his hat and hung his head ashamed. Stepping aside, he allowed the pegasus to retrieve the package. The sight of the ruined box only served to add to the stallion’s sorrows.

“I can’t deliver it like this!” the light-brown pegasus thought out loud as he promptly sat on his haunches. “I’m sure that 'Spike' will tell the Princess the bad shape that I gave it to him in. Forget the promotion; I might not have a job if I deliver it like this!”

Spike perked up, hearing his name being spoken. He could not help but wonder if the package was meant for him. He wanted to ask the pegasus about it, but his breath was still out of control and threatened to scare off the stallion before he could.

“I guess delivering it like this is better than not delivering it at all,” he conceded.

“Wait!” Spike said, stopping the stallion from taking the box and leaving. He did not face the stallion, allowing his fire breath to fall into open space. “I’m Spike!”

“You’re Spike?” the stallion said, raising a suspicious eyebrow. There was no evidence proving or disproving his claim. “Ok, so if you are Spike, where do you live?”

“I live…” the purple dragon started, but paused as he remembered his recent decision. “I used to live at the Golden Oaks Library…”

“Well, I guess this belongs to you then,” the stallion said, double checking the list. He held the package out to the troubled dragon. He did not accept the package, however. Instead, his gaze became locked on the forest floor. The stallion stood there awkwardly holding the box in silence. He could see a forlorn look in the dragon’s face as he hung his head low. His job never included “consoling dragons”, but not only was his conscience egging him to do something, it meant also delivering this package, which in turn meant keeping his job.

“Uh… what do you mean used to?” he asked.

“I’m… I was Twilight Sparkle’s assistant and I was a baby dragon, but today I woke up…” Spike told him, keeping his volume barely audible. “Like this.”

“Well… I guess that explains why you were getting a package from the Princess,” the stallion responded.

“That’s from Twilight?” the dragon asked.

“Yeah… here,” the pegasus answered, once again handing him the package. Spike reached for the package, but quickly withdrew his claws. This confused the stallion, but the dragon cleared the fogginess in his mind as he demonstrated the keenness of his claws on a nearby tree. Swiping his claws across the trunk, he left very distinct and deep scars. “Oh… I’ll get that for you.”

Tossing the top away, it revealed a few rather large gems and some mirror-like crystals along with a note underneath them all. Clearing his throat, the stallion began reading the note out loud:

Dear Spike,

I’ve been hearing nothing but good things from everyone in Ponyville. They said that the library’s running smoothly without me and the girls have been telling how you even had some extra time to help them out. I know that you stayed in Ponyville because you didn’t really like it here in Canterlot and trust me, this Princess stuff isn’t all that it’s cut out to be. I’m sure you would have bored out of your mind if you stayed with me. It’s a bunch of paperwork and hoof-shaking.  I do miss having my number one assistant around, but I just wanted to tell you that I’m proud of you for all the hard work you’ve been putting in while I’m gone. I could never ask for a better assistant and friend. I can’t wait to see you all in a couple of days again. You know, unless this courier service isn’t what it’s cracked up to be and you get this package after I get back home.

P.S.: I got my hooves on a couple of crystals that they’ve been finding in the caverns underneath Canterlot. I hope they taste as good as the gems! Thought you deserved a little treat for all your hard work.

Love,

Twilight Sparkle

“Hey! We couriers are the fastest mail service around! GUARANTEED next day delivery!” the stallion snapped.  “Anyways, sounds like you guys are really close friends. Why’d you run away out here?”

“We are really close, we’re like family! That’s why I ran away, I didn’t want to hurt anypony,” Spike replied, feeling even more distraught after hearing the letter from his friend. “Like I almost hurt you.”

“But… she’s an alicorn, right? There has to be something she can do to fix this,” the pegasus told him.

“She does know a lot of magic,” Spike thought out loud.

“There you go!” the stallion replied. “I’m sure that you can find a way to not hurt anypony while you guys figure out how to get you back to normal. I mean, I’m ok, aren’t I? My hat might not be, but I can always get another one of those.”

“I guess you’re right. I think I should head back, Rarity and the others are probably looking for me,” he said.. Turning his head every which way, the dragon had been wandering so long he did not know which direction his home was anymore. “I could use some help finding my way back, if you don’t mind.”

“Well, this was my last delivery. I guess I can stick around a bit,” the pegasus said, flying up to get a bearing of the town’s location. “It’s that way!”

“By the way, I’ve never seen you in Ponyville before,” Spike commented. “And I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s not really a surprise you haven’t seen me around Ponyville. I’m actually from Cloudsdale,” the stallion told him, taking the lead. “My name’s Cloud Slider. Y'know, I’ve never met a real life dragon before, kind of cool actually. I mean, I heard a lot about dragons from a pony that I help deliver supplies to. He wants to be the first pony to write a book about dragons! He’s been studying them for over a year now, and he’s learned a hay of a lot. He could talk your ear off with everything he’s learned.”

The two seemed to get along quite well as they journeyed through the forest. Both had plenty to talk and laugh about, though Spike nearly burnt Cloud Slider with his powerful breath occasionally.

As they neared the edge of the forest, they heard the loud chatter of multiple mares. It had appeared that they had been in a deadlock for quite a while. One side realizing the danger the Everfree Forest posed at night and the other wanting to go in anyways and split up, the only possible way they would have any luck of finding the dragon in the dense forest. Spike was touched that they were willing to go to such lengths to find him, especially from Rarity who seemed almost determined to proceed on her own if need be.

“Guess this is your stop, Spike,” Cloud Slider said, overhearing the mares calling the dragon’s name.

“Thanks, Cloud Slider!” Spike replied.

“It’s… been definitely the most interesting delivery I’ve had,” he told him. “Good luck with getting back to normal!”

As he flew off, he stopped suddenly and returned to the dragon. “Actually, can I ask you a favor? You see the mail service might ask you for feedback on my delivery. If you could just…”

“It’s the least I can do,” Spike cut him off.

“You don’t even know how much this means to me. Thanks, Spike,” the pegasus said as his wings gave a quick flutter. Holding out his hoof, the dragon greeted it with his knuckles.

With that, the stallion took off. Spike prepared himself to approach the mares with a deep breath. He was not sure what their reaction would be, but he hoped that their longstanding friendship would mean acceptance of his new form.

“Hey, look! It’s Spike!” Derpy announced, waving at the incoming dragon. “Hi, Spike!”

“Spike?” the arguing mares stopped and turned their heads. They expected the baby dragon that they always knew, but what they saw had all of them hanging their mouths agape. They saw a longer, slimmer dragon, eyes much more reptilian. The only thing they could really recognize were the purple scales and the trail of green spines that ran down from his head to his tail. Even his run was different, now traveling on all fours rather than his usual upright posture.

“Spike…?” they asked, taking extra caution in approaching him.

“Yeah,” Spike answered, making sure to face away from them while he spoke. The sudden and bright emerald flame startled the mares as they took a step back.

“What happened to you, Spike?” Rarity was the first to ask what was on each of their minds.

“I don’t know,” the dragon admitted. “I just… woke up and I was already big.”

The mare carefully observed the dragon, but soon saw that they had nothing to fear. He did not act as he did during his rampage. He was tame and even perhaps a little saddened.

“Well, dontcha fret none, Spike,” Applejack reassured him. “Twilight will be back in a few days, then we can go over to Zecora’s and together they can get ya back to normal.”

“I dunno… I kind of like Spike better this way!” Rainbow Dash added, giving the dragon a noogie. “He looks more like a real dragon, definitely a lot cooler than before!”

“Yeah! He used to be able to ride us, now it’s our turn to ride him!” Pinkie Pie laughed, climbing on top of the dragon. “Even Fluttershy isn’t scared of Spike!”

“Well, he’s still the little Spike I know… just bigger…” Fluttershy said as she joined the rest of the mares around Spike.

“Oh, Spike!” Derpy called out before reaching into her saddlebag. “Here, you forgot your mail this morning!”

Spike waved his arms to warn the grey pegasus not to hand him the batch of letters. However, she simply ignored it and impaled them on one of his claws. He looked with half-lidded eyes at the ruined letters and then back at the bubbly mare, who merely considered her job done and took her leave. The mares shared a laugh as the dragon gave a sigh of defeat.

The Show Begins

The Show Begins

A few days of anxious waiting followed as Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie all tried their best to handle Spike’s new form. Due to his current state's destructiveness, he was not allowed to do very much. It felt strange for him to sit on his claws and do nothing for himself or anypony else.  However, he did find some serendipity in his new situation.

Spike was often told by Twilight that he was much too young to have a chance with Rarity. Now he found himself in an interesting situation. He had somehow grown older overnight quite literally. Though he missed his old smaller form, he began thinking that this sudden transformation was a blessing in disguise, a chance to finally be with Rarity.

“Rarity?” Spike called her as she paced the floor of the library.

Rarity had volunteered to be the one to stay with him in the library until their newly declared princess could return. Her worry had settled down from the initial shock of seeing her cute, little “Spikey-Wikey” as larger, more menacing dragon. However, it seemed that something else was bothering her. This was the second time she had nearly lost Spike and it had terrified her just as much as the first had. But she just could not quite put her hoof on the reason. Losing him would of course mean he would no longer help her around her shop, but she knew that something more that would be missing in her life had he not returned. She quickly shook the thought when she heard her name being called.

“Oh… I’m sorry, Spike. I just have a lot on my mind,” a distracted Rarity told him. “Yes?”

“Uh… Nothing…” he replied, too embarrassed to tell her what was on his mind.

“Spike, what…” Rarity began but paused to take in a deep breath. “What would you do if Twilight couldn’t find a way to get you back to normal? You wouldn’t leave… would you?”

Before he could respond, a certain pink pony busted through the library’s door.

“SHE’S HERE!!! SHE’S HERE!!!” Pinkie Pie announced, nearly bouncing off the walls. “TWILIGHT’S BACK!!!”

“She is?” Rarity asked, in more relief than disbelief.

“Took her long enough!” Spike laughed, allowing a fiery flare to escape from his mouth.

“I have to get my flugelhorn!” the party pony gasped before running off, only to poke her head through the doorway. “I’ll meet you there!”

“Wait! Pinkie!” the white unicorn called out but to no avail. “Meet her where?”

Before she could look back to the semi-grown dragon, he had already found his way out of the library and headed through the lively town. Most ponies were startled, to say the least, after first seeing Spike return from the Everfree Forest. However, after a little reassurance from Rarity and the other mares, their fears had quelled, but it was still a very scary experience for the ponies to have such a large dragon run through their town, clearing the way as they saw him coming. He soon reached the center of town, where he saw a very large and highly decorated chariot approaching.

“Spike! Spike!” Rarity yelled, finally catching up with him. “Oh!”

“Alright! It’s about time!” Rainbow Dash said, hovering overhead.

“It has been mighty long time,” Applejack said, also just arriving.

“We haven’t seen her since the coronation!” Fluttershy said in a “loud” voice.

Soon the whole town fell silent as the chariot touched down. In the regal transport sat the newly crowned princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle. She seemed to be a little nervous as she gave the crowd an awkward smile and a wave of her hoof as they cheered and welcomed their new princess back to her home. For the most part, she looked to be the same Twilight her friends remembered, except for a new jeweled tiara and a golden, ornate necklace.

“Hi, girls! And… Spike?!” Twilight pulled back in surprise. “You’ve… gotten pretty big...”

Though they had sent her a letter through the magical link between Celestia and Spike, she was still surprised to find the “baby” dragon she had left was now almost twice her size.

“AWW!!!! I MISSED IT!!!” the pink party pony whined loudly as she rushed to the scene.

“Missed what, Pinkie?” Twilight asked.

“I wanted to blow my flugelhorn and say: ‘Welcome Princess Twilight Sparkle!’” Pinkie answered, frowning. “Like the guards do with their horns in Canterlot but…”

“Oh… alright Pinkie, you can still do it,” the newest of the princesses said.

“YAY! Ok, you have to get back in the chariot,” the pink pony told her as she practically pushed Twilight into position. “Stay there until I blow my horn, okay?”

“Ok Pinkie,” Twilight giggled, climbing back onto her chariot.

“Ok… now you guys stand right… there…” Pinkie said, pushing the crowd of her friends some distance in front of the chariot. “Now… wait for it…”

“Uh… Pinkie…?” Applejack asked after a while of silence.

“WAIT FOR IT…” she replied, hushing her fellow earth pony. “Now!”

Taking in all the air her lungs allowed, she sounded her horn, making many of the residents of Ponyville flinch from the sheer volume.

“Presenting Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Pinkie boomed, a very satisfied smile coming across her face.

“Thank you… for that Pinkie…” Twilight told her, rubbing her ears.

Though she was a bit bewildered by Pinkie’s overly loud welcome, it would be a lie to say she did not miss Pinkie’s over the top antics all the while she was in Canterlot.

“No problem… we were going to throw you a party but…” she responded sadly as her ears drooped. “The meteor that took Spike into the Everfree Forest burned all the decoration we had…”

“Pinkie, we’ve been over this already…” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Spike was the one that burned the decoration…”

“But why would Spike burn all the decoration?” Pinkie asked.

“It was an accident!” Rainbow Dash said, her patience wearing thin.

“So what happened to the meteor?” she asked, tilting her head in further confusion.

“THERE WAS NO METEOR!!!” yelled all the ponies, sans Twilight, in unison at the top of their lungs.

“Well, I guess we better get started if we want to get you back to normal as soon as possible,” Twilight said to the dragon.

“Actually…” Spike said, quickly covering his mouth as a small burst of flames escaped. . “You’re probably tired from all your… uh… princess stuff at Canterlot. It can wait…”

Although he had been in this form for a few days now, he had not quite gotten used to it. However, after several visits to the spa and a countless number of broken files later, the twins Aloe and Lotus had finally dulled his claws to manageable keenness. As for his fire breath, it was still out of control and a potential threat to anyone he spoke to, so he became used to staying silent. When he did have to speak, he got into the habit of covering his mouth to stop the fire spreading into the open

“Oooook…” Twilight replied.

“Yeah, let’s go over to Sugarcube Corner and you can tell about all about Canterlot!” Pinkie boomed. “And maybe when we’re while trying to get Spike back to normal later, we’ll find out what happened to that pesky meteor…”

Most of the ponies merely shook their head with the exception of Rainbow Dash, who forcefully drove her hoof into her face.

“How come ya ain’t staying at Canterlot like Princess Luna and Princess Celestia?” Applejack asked the new princess.

“Yes, that does seem a little odd,” Rarity added. “Do tell, Twilight.”

“Well, I know this seems weird… for a princess to live in library in such a little town, but as Princess Luna pointed out while I was there, how I became a princess is anything but normal,” Twilight answered. “Princess Celestia wanted me to stay in Canterlot with her and Luna, but I told her that I wanted to come back… I mean, if it wasn’t for you girls, I wouldn’t be a princess at all!”

“Aww…” the girls snuggled for a hug, causing the lone dragon—moreover—the only boy present to gag from the overemotional moment.

“However, being a special case, Celestia also gave me a special duty,” she continued. “From now on, the Elements of Harmony are my full responsibility. Their care, their use, everything! But that’s not just it… From now on, protecting Equestria and all the ponies that live here is our responsibility…”

“What do you mean our responsibility?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well, seeing as the Elements are bound to us…” Twilight paused to retrieve a chest from two guards that had followed them to the sweets shop. “She decided to dub us the official guardians of all of Equestria and the Crystal Kingdom. As Princess Celestia said, ‘the Elements of Harmony are the most powerful and final safeguard against the evils that threaten our lands and citizens.’ Should a new threat ever were to arise, it’s our responsibility to see to it and resolve it!”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy said as she began to hyperventilate. “That’s… a lot… of pressure…”

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy! As long as we all stick together, we can do anything!” Pinkie reassured her friend with a big hug.

“You seem a bit off, Twilight,” Rarity asked, noticing the purple princess’s eyes glued to the floor.

“It’s… nothing, really!” she replied, giving her friends a shallow smile.

“Now, now. There ain’t a thing ya can’t tell us, sugarcube!” the apple farmer told her as she gave her a strong pat on the back. “Ya know that!”

“We’ll stand by you no matter what!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Ok… it’s about Princess Celestia,” Twilight confessed. “She’s been acting really strangely. She told me she didn’t intend on tearing me away from you girls when she asked me to stay in Canterlot. She said that she just wanted to be sure that I was ready to lead Equestria in case the time came that I ever had to rule over it… and she wasn’t there…”

“What do you think Princess Celestia meant?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know… As far as I know, alicorns live forever…” the new princess responded. “Maybe she’s going somewhere… I don’t have a clue!”

“I’m sure she didn’t mean nothin’ by it, sugarcube,”  Applejack reassured her.

“I hope you’re right, Applejack…” Twilight replied. “I really do…”

“You don’t know how good it feels to be home, Spike!” Twilight said, stretching her newly acquired wings. “I know we were both born in Canterlot, but all the while I was over there, I couldn’t stop thinking of Ponyville or any of you!”

“Well, I think everypony missed you too, Twilight…” Spike said as he gave her a half-hearted smile.

“Something wrong?” the purple alicorn asked him. “You’ve been acting pretty weird too.”

“I’m sorry, Twilight…” the dragon apologized. “I just don’t know if I want to go back to normal…”

“Hmm?” Twilight hummed, raising an eyebrow.

“I mean, you were right… why would Rarity ever want to date a baby dragon?” he confessed.

“But Spike… this isn’t natural!” she replied. “I know that you really like Rarity, but this could be dangerous. Remember what happened last time? You almost hurt her…”

“I wouldn’t hurt Rarity!!!” Spike roared, frightening the alicorn. “I-I’m… sorry…”

“It’s ok, Spike,” Twilight tried to calm him. “I know that it’s hard…”

“No, you don’t understand… This is my one chance to be with Rarity…” he said as he rested flat on the floor. “I don’t want to lose it… maybe… maybe it happened for a reason!”

“But Spike… what about your breath… and your claws…?” she asked.

“I can learn to control my breath! And after going to the spa, my claws have been just fine!” Spike nearly yelled.

“What about your size, Spike?” Twilight inquired. “You barely fit through the doors as it is…”

“But I didn’t feel right as a baby dragon!” the dragon cried, a few tears of frustration leaving his eyes. “I felt older…”

“Do you feel ‘right’ right now?” she asked in reply.

“No…” Spike answered sadly.

“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight told him, rubbing his head to comfort him. “I didn’t mean to ruin your dream of being with Rarity when I said you were too young.”

“I know… I know…” he repeated. “But I knew you were right… No matter how hard I tried, I don’t think Rarity can treat me like a coltfriend as long as I was a baby dragon. I was too little… Now I’m too big… I won’t be able to stay here with all the ponies soon… Equestria's no place for a full-grown dragon…”

“Don’t say that, Spike! I’ll tell you what: how about you think it over tonight? You can tell me what you want to do in the morning," she told him. “That sound ok to you?”

“Ok…” Spike replied with a smile as she walked away. “Promise not to tell anypony else?"

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye…” Twilight giggled.

“Oh… and Twilight?” Spike called to her.

“Yes?” she turned around.

“Sorry about the books…” Spike said with a small flinch. They had strategically left that out of the letter they had wrote to her and Celestia.

“What boo…” Twilight paused as soon as she saw that the blackened section of the library. After giving a heartbroken, horrified sort of sigh, the poor shocked pony fainted.

“Twilight?” a familiar voice called out to the alicorn. “Twiiiiiilight! WAKEY WAKEY!”

A sudden crash of cymbals startled the purple pony awake.

“AGH!!!” Twilight yelled, falling off her bed.  Standing over her was her crazy pink friend with a wide smile across her face.

“She’s awa-ake!” Pinkie sung as she bounced down the steps to the library’s ground floor.

“Pinkie, we told you to let Twilight rest… poor darling’s been busy ever since her coronation,” Twilight heard Rarity’s voice say. “She must be exhausted.”

“Don’t worry about me, girls!” the new princess said, soaring down to the second floor.

“Well, well, well! Looks like somepony’s getting used to her wings!” Rainbow Dash said enthusiastically.

“Sort of… But I’m a long way from racing you, Rainbow!” Twilight laughed as she landed awkwardly.

“Aww…” the blue pegasus whined.

“What are we standin’ around for?” Applejack asked. “Let’s head over to Zecora’s and get Spike here back to normal!”

As the mares hurriedly exited the library, only Spike and Twilight were left. It was obvious that the dragon had not slept the entire night. He was finding his eyelid unusually heavy and was yawning quite frequently.

“Well, Spike…” Twilight paused to turn to the dragon. “Did you decide on what you’re going to do?"

“I think I want to go back to normal…” Spike answered, wiping his eyes. “Even if I can’t be with Rarity… I can still be her friend… I can still be there for her if ever she needs me…”

After giving Twilight a reassuring smile, he quickly exited the library and followed the rest of their little group. However, Twilight lingered a bit longer, still unsure if she could go through with it. After their emotionally charged talk last night, much uncertainty developed in her heart. Her number one assistant, the dragon that had helped since her studies began in Canterlot, needed help in fulfilling his own dream and she was utterly stumped. If she found a way to return him to his original age, then she effectively put out his only hope to fulfill his dream. If she refused to return him to his young age, he would soon grow too big to comfortably live with the rest of the residence of Equestria.

“What would Celestia do…? I can ask her!” Twilight thought out loud. “But… I’m a princess now. I should be able to handle this on my own! If I can’t handle one of my friend’s problems, how am I ever going to prove to Princess Celestia that I can handle all of Equestria’s problems?”

“Come on, Twilight!” Spike said, returning to the library to see what had kept the alicorn.

“Sorry, I’m on my way!” Twilight replied, chasing after the dragon. “Oh! And don’t think you’re off the hook for all those books you burned, even if it was an accident!”

She only received a groan from Spike as they raced off to catch up with the others.

“You experience strange growth again?” Zecora spoke. “Hmm… Let us see what is at work then.”

Taking a few minutes to examine Spike, the zebra poked his stomach, pulled his tail and finally took a drop of saliva from one of his fangs in a small glass vial. Dropping it in her cauldron, it soon turned the liquid swirling inside into a purple matching Spike’s scales.

“This is very peculiar indeed,” Zecora said finally. “The cause of his growth is not greed.”

“So… what made him grow?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It seems the root of this problem is a type of herb,” the zebra added. “The flow of time, this rare plant’s essence will disturb.”

“I’ve never heard of a plant that had time-altering qualities,” Twilight stated.

“It grows only within the forest’s center,” Zecora answered. “A dangerous place that few dare to enter.”

“How did it get all the way to Ponyville then?” Pinkie asked.

“That is one thing I do not know,” the zebra replied. “Legs, these herbs simply cannot grow.”

“Hey, Twilight. Can’t ya just cast one of them spells of yers to get Spike back to his normal self?” Applejack asked.

“Well, since it was a plant that made him grow… maybe I can,” Twilight answered. “My magic has gotten stronger since I became an alicorn… Hold still, Spike.”

“Is it gonna hurt?” Spike asked her, a bit of fear building up inside him.

“No…” the alicorn paused to think it over. “No.”

Twilight’s horn began to glow brightly as she concentrated all her power in preparation of the spell. With a hard swallow, Spike nervously stood as his sweat shot off of him, creating a puddle on the floor beneath him. After another second, Twilight seemed satisfied with the power she gathered and shot a powerful beam at the dragon. Looking up at the dragon, Twilight's eyes widened when she saw the same dragon frightfully shaking and sweating bullets. absolutely nothing happened. The alicorn did not give up right away, charging and releasing blast after blast at the dragon. However, after many exhausting attempts, the results did not change. Spike was still in his unnaturally grown state.

“What’s wrong? Why won’t my magic work?” Twilight asked. “Zecora?”

“Of these reptiles, my people know a lot,” Zecora responded. “However, a dragon expert, I am not.”

“So… I’M STUCK LIKE THIS!?” Spike panicked.

“Now, now, darling…” Rarity told him, giving him a calming rub on his back. “I’m sure there’s something that we can find in the library that can help us.”

“I’m sorry, but Spike and I already looked all over the library for anything on dragons before,” Twilight said. “We couldn’t find a single book about them. No pony has ever researched them because of how dangerous it is.”

“Wait!” Spike exclaimed, startling all those present.

“What is it, Spike?” Twilight asked. “Do you know somepony who researched dragons before!?”

“No, but I know somepony who does!” he answered, giving the confused group a wide smile.

Colt in a Conundrum

Colt in a Conundrum

                It was the start of a new morning for Cloudsdale and the start of the workday for the Cloudsdale Couriers. Their jobs involved making deliveries all over the cities, villages and even lone cottages of Equestria. There was nowhere too obscure or extreme that they would not deliver to. Unfortunately, this also meant their workday would always start early in order to ensure that the sterling reputation of the Courier Service stayed intact with their promise of next day delivery. This, of course, included the beige stallion, Cloud Slider.

“And… Cloud Slider…” the manager—or as a few of the couriers jokingly called her—their “Wrangler” said. “Looks like it’s your lucky day, you have only one package to deliver today.”

“Where to?” he asked.

“To…” the mare paused and stared wide-eyed past the beige pegasus. “Derpy!?”

“Hi, Miss Wrangler!” the grey pegasus greeted the manager.

Derpy had made it a habit to accidentally visit the Cloudsdale Post Office every now and then. The higher-ups of the office were always lenient on her and chalked up these visits as a force of habit from her days of living in Cloudsdale. Even if she occasionally made a mistake or two, they could not deny she more often than not got the job done. However, her visits were always thought to be ill omens, whether that meant she would do something to physically harm the office or just bad luck would follow the deliveries for the day.

The two other couriers working that day had taken off as soon as they heard the Derpy’s voice. Unfortunately for the Cloud Slider, he had not received the location of his delivery for the day nor the package itself, and could not just leave as easily as they did. He waited for his manager to regain her composure as she attempted to deny Derpy entrance into the office. Unluckily for her, Derpy was deceptively strong and busted through the doors that the manager attempted to barricade with her body.

“Ready for my mail for today!” Derpy exclaimed with a smile as she looked down at the courier’s manager. “The doors didn’t wanna open again? Don’t worry, I think I fixed them!”

“Yes… ‘fixed’,” the managerial mare sighed. “As we’ve told you before, Derpy. You don’t work here anymore. You work at the Ponyville Post Office!”

“Oh yeah!” Derpy said, after taking a moment to register the thought. “I always forget!”

“Too often, if you ask me,” the mare whispered under her breath.

“Whatcha say, Miss Wrangler?” Derpy asked curiously.

“Oh nothing!” the manager faked a smile and waved the question off. “Now, where was I? Ah, yes! Cloud Slider, your delivery is listed right here and it is in Canterlot. Please take Miss Derpy here and point her in the right direction back to Ponyville.”

“Wait, why do I have to…” Cloud Slider began.

“You will take Miss Derpy with you and you will go on to make your delivery for the day!” the “Wrangler” ordered as authoritatively as the young courier ever heard her. “Did I make myself clear?”

The frightened stallion could only nod as he shook violently.

“Now, Derpy,” the manager continued. “Please follow Cloud Slider, if you will.”

“Ok!” the carefree mare boomed as she followed the stallion through the damaged front doors. The manager sighed and went on to find a cloud-shaper to repair the office’s doors.

The six mares and Spike had waited an entire day after visiting their knowledgeable zebra friend to go off and find this “Cloud Slider” who, Spike claimed, knew a pony that was currently researching dragons. Not only was the trip to Cloudsdale a long one, but Twilight had quite worn herself out in her attempt to fix Spike’s age and simply did not have the energy to cast the cloud walking spell or even make the trip. They had decided to set off early to have the best chance of catching the courier before he left to make his deliveries.

“Are you sure about this, Spike?” Twilight asked the dragon as the ground bound ponies climbed into the hot air balloon. Due to his size, they were forced to leave him behind.

“Yeah, he said he knew a pony that was researching dragon, but he didn’t tell me where,” Spike answered, . “He did tell me that he worked for the ‘Cloudsdale Courier Service’. You might still be able to find him there.”

“Ugh… he’s one of those overrated delivery colts,” Rainbow Dash commented.

“What do ya know about the Cloudsdale Couriers, Rainbow?” Applejack asked her.

“All I know is that they go around and deliver packages and if they don’t report back in on time, they get in trouble,” Rainbow Dash answered. “At least on the Weather Team, as long as I got my work done, they didn’t care when I got it done.”

“Fluttershy?” the rest of the mares turned to the other pegasus in their group for clarification.

“She’s just a little cranky… they got mad at her for losing a lot of packages when she practiced her tricks and sleeping on the job,” Fluttershy explained softly.

“Hey! I gave them a show with their delivery!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “Not my fault if the packages couldn’t take on my level of awesome! And after a long day, I think I deserve a little nap!”

“Let’s hope that this courier is a little like you then, Rainbow, and doesn’t show up on time for work,” Twilight laughed.

“Ok…” Cloud Slider stopped as the two pegasi reached the outskirts of floating city.  “Ponyville is that way… ok, Derpy?”

“Alright!” Derpy nodded.

“You got that, right?” he asked. “Just fly that way and you should find Ponyville in no time.”

“Ok!” she exclaimed.

“Ok…” Cloud Slider paused for a second. “Bye, Derpy.”

“Bye!” Derpy waved.

Flying through the open air above the plains that separated Cloudsdale and Canterlot, the young stallion could not help but feel as though he was being followed. However, every time he would turn around to try and catch his stalker, there was never anypony there, only the occasional bird or cloud. About half way through his journey, the feeling became unmistakable and unshakeable, but not matter how often he looked behind him, he found no one. Not until his flight slowed to a paranoid pace did he finally receive a tap on his head from above. It was, of course, none other than the very pony he thought he had guided home, Derpy Hooves.

“Why are we flying so slow?” Derpy asked.

“I… what…” Cloud Slider found himself at a loss for words. “Derpy, why didn’t you go back to Ponyville!?”

“But Miss Wrangler told me to follow you…” Derpy answered, her smile drooping after his scolding.

“I-I’m sorry, Derpy,” he apologized with an exasperated sigh. “I didn’t mean to scream. I just thought somepony else was following me.”

“Like who?” the grey pegasus asked, perking back up.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “But I’ve been hearing stories about sky-pirates stealing stuff from ponies wandering around the plains like this.”

“Oh…” Derpy said.

“Let’s just get you back to Ponyville,” the stallion said as he changed directions.

“Or we could just ask them for a ride!” Derpy shouted as she pointed towards an airship hovering above them. Cloud Slider’s ears drooped as he saw the skull and cross bones that the ship had imposed on their black flag. Before they knew it, the two pegasi were surrounded by the ship’s raggedy-clothed crew.

“Bring them aboard! A courier should have booty aplenty! ARRR!” a large hatted, dirty bearded pony told his subordinates.

“See!” Derpy exclaimed. “Told you they would help and we didn’t even need to ask!”

In the blink of an eye, the two mail handlers found themselves stripped of all their belongings, securely tied up and being brought into the lower deck of the ship. Cloud Slider did not bother trying to explain what was actually happening as both were dropped carelessly on the floor.

“This is all he had on him, Cap’n!” one of the crew ponies handed the dirty bearded pony the courier’s saddlebags. “The mare had nothing to plunder!”

“ONE MEASLY PACKAGE!?” the captain yelled. “ARRR! It matters not! We shall fetch ourselves a mighty price from the ransom of these two ponies!”

“Wanna sing a song while we wait?” Derpy asked her fellow captive. “OH! One hundred barrels of cider on the wall, one hundred barrels of cider! Take one down, pass it around, ninety-nine barrels of cider on the wall!”

“This is going to be a long kidnapping…” Cloud Slider moaned as he hit his head against the floor.

“Alright… it should be right around this corner…” Rainbow Dash said as she led the group through Cloudsdale.

“Ya said that the last three times,” Applejack complained.

“Uh… darlings!” Rarity stopped the group as she turned her head side to side. “It seems that we have lost Twilight.”

“Where did she go?” Fluttershy asked.

“She’s over there!” Pinkie gestured as she happily took a bite from an inexplicitly obtained snow cone.

“If there is anything else you need during your visit, Princess,” a stallion dressed in well-pressed suit and tie began. “Please do not hesitate to ask. We are at your service, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Actually… could you point us to the Cloudsdale Post Office?” Twilight asked the bowing stallion. “We’re a little lost…”

“Of course, Princess! If you need a guide as well, one can be arranged,” the stallion answered.

“No, no,” Twilight shook her head. “We just need directions to the Post Office.”

“As you wish, Princess,” the stallion bowed once more as he led the alicorn to a street and pointed out the city’s mail center. “It is right there, Princess. Straight down Nimbus Boulevard.”

“Thank you very much,” Twilight replied as she took the lead of her group.

“What was that all about?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well, it started when a few ponies noticed me and wanted to shake my hoof,” the purple alicorn began. “I didn’t mind. Did a lot more hoof-shaking back in Canterlot, but then the mayor’s assistant found me and wouldn’t let me go unless I asked for something. He wanted to apologize about not welcoming their ‘new princess’ properly.”

“Whatcha ask for, Twilight?” Applejack inquired.

“Pinkie was the one actually asked for something,” she answered.

“Yup!” Pinkie backed up Twilight’s story as she swallowed what remained of her snow cone.

“Do be careful with cold foods like that, darling,” Rarity advised. “They can easily give you a brain freeze.”

“A what freeze?” the pink pony asked as giddy as ever.

“Somethin’ tells me that she ain’t gotta worry about that, Rarity,” Applejack said, sharing a light laugh with the dress maker.

“Come on, girls!” Twilight called. “We’ve already wasted enough time with our little tour of Cloudsdale.”

It was short walk to the post office, and as they approached, they noticed a few pegasi working on the entrance of the office with a mare overseeing them. The mare had a very authoritative voice and it made her seem to be the one to ask about such matters as finding one of the couriers that worked for the office. However, as the group closed in on her, they realized that the mare was not in the best of moods as she barked angrily at the pegasi to work faster and gave a stern look to any pony who dared approach her. After one extraordinarily brave pegasus pointed behind her, the mare turned around and immediately relaxed her furrowed brows when she saw Equestria’s newest princess behind her.

“My apologies, Princess!” the mare immediately fell to the ground with a bow. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I’m likin’ the new perks that comes being a princess, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said, smiling cockily and elbowing the purple alicorn.

“Uh… Yes,” Twilight coughed. “We are looking for a courier that works here.”

“But as a Princess, you have access to the Royal Courier Service we provide to those in the royal family! You did not need to come all the way to Cloudsdale to find a courier!” the managerial mare told her.

“Well… I’m not looking to send anything,” Twilight explained. “We just needed to speak to a specific courier.”

“Oh… if that’s the case, I believe I can help you,” the mare said. “Do you know the name of the courier you wish to speak to?”

“Uh… yes… I think Spike said his name was…” Twilight paused, trying to recall the name. “Nimbus Rider…?”

“No! That wasn’t it! It was… uh…” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Tornado Dancer…?”

“That wasn’t his name, silly Dashie!” Pinkie said as she cut in front of the blue pegasus. “It was Sky Walker!”

“Oh don’t tell y’all forgot his name already!” Applejack scolded.

“Ok then, why don’t YOU tell us what his name is!?” Rainbow Dash shouted back, pushing her forehead against that of the apple farmer.

“I… can’t remember either…” Applejack said, hiding her embarrassed face under the brim of her hat.

“Rainbow Dash, there’s no point in fighting about it,” Twilight intervened. “No pony can remember his name, only Spike knows it. Unless…”

“Yes, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“Unless, either of you remember,” Twilight continued, looking to two members of the group that had stayed quiet until that moment. “Rarity? Fluttershy?”

“Hmm… let’s see,” the unicorn thought out loud. “I do believe Spike had said something about ‘clouds’.”

“Uh… I think it was…” Fluttershy spoke. “Cloud Sl… Slammer?”

“Well, we have a ‘Cloud Slider’…” the mare finally interrupted their desperate name search. “Is that the pony you were looking for, Princess?”

“Yes! That was it! That was what Spike had told us!” Rarity confirmed.

“Unfortunately, Princess, he has not checked in yet,” the mare admitted after checking a nearby clipboard. “He only had a single package to deliver today. He should be back soon enough, Princess. That is, if you feel like waiting.”

“I think we can wait,” Twilight answered for the group. “If it means helping Spike.”

“One barrel of cider on the wall! One barrel of cider! Take it down pass, it around! No more barrels of cider on the wall!” the crew and Derpy finished the last verse of their hours-long song.

“Is it finally over?” Cloud Slider asked, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Are we there yet?” Derpy whined. “I didn’t think Ponyville was that far away. If I don’t get back soon, who’s going to give Dinky her muffins!?”

“I don’t really think they were planning on taking us to Ponyville, Derpy,” the courier told her.

“Oh… Oh well!” Derpy smiled. “I can just fly back home!”

Just before he was about to explained how their wings and bodies were cocooned in rope, the binds that held her simply slipped off her body with no effort at all. It had become quite clear that they had not tied Derpy’s ropes and she had in fact been able to leave at any time she chose. She could have even quietly left for help or even untied Cloud Slider herself and helped him escape without the pirates being any the wiser. However, through her own aloofness, she had stayed in the ship for nearly half the day and, consequently, kept Cloud Slider there as well.

“YOU…” he shouted but immediately adjusted his voice to a harsh whisper. “You weren’t tied up all this time!?”

“Nope!” Derpy continued smiling. “Why?”

“Okay… listen carefully Derpy…” Cloud Slider whispered. “Try and untie these ropes… we can sneak away from one of these windows.”

The cross-eyed pegasus ambled over to the still trapped courier. Fumbling with the ropes’ ends, it became painfully apparent that she had no idea what she was doing. Instead of freeing him, she only managed to increase the tightness of the ropes around his body, causing his eyes to nearly pop out their sockets from the sheer pressure.

“S-sto-op…” Cloud Slider struggled to say as the blond pegasus released her grip on the ropes. “Ok… new plan! Go to Cloudsdale and tell Miss ‘Wrangler’ that sky-pirates kidnapped me! You got that?”

“‘Kidnapped’?” Derpy echoed. “That’s silly! If anything, they ‘coltnapped’ you! You’re not a goat!”

“That’s not the poi-” Cloud Slider sighed. “Can you just go and tell Miss ‘Wrangler’ that I’ve been ‘coltnapped’ then?”

“Ok!” Derpy replied.

For a moment, the courier felt relieved, finding hope in the form of the clumsy mailmare. However, that feeling soon faded as she flew to the deck above and began to bid everypony farewell. By some stroke of luck—or more accurately—stroke of stupidity on the part of the pirates above, Derpy was able to casually fly away from the airship without so much as order to stop as most were busy returning her farewells with their own goodbyes. Eventually, though, the captain realized their mistake.

“Arrr! You bunch of knaves let the airheaded lass get away!” the captain shouted at his crew.

“But captain, she did keep us entertained while she was here,” one of the crew spoke up.

“AH! That be true…” the captain agreed. “Then we shall let the young lass go, me maties! We still have the courier lad down below in the bilge! I’m sure we can still bring a hefty ransom for his return!”

“Bye, guys! It’s been fun!” Derpy said as the crew gave a final wave goodbye to grey pegasus.

“I’m doomed…” Cloud Slider said to himself as he banged his head against the wooden floor once more.

“This is taking forever!” Rainbow Dash finally broke the silence.

“He’ll be by shortly! I assure you!” the courier manager told her. “I am very sorry for the inconvenience, Princess!”

All of the mares had been waiting hours for the return of the courier that Spike met, but they had received no sign of him. Both other couriers had returned and were surprised to be suddenly interrogated by the princess and her entourage. After neither arrival turned out to be the stallion they were looking for, most of the group had had enough of waiting and wanted to either return to Ponyville or look for him themselves. However, Twilight chose to follow the advice of the manager of the couriers and wait for him to return. Nevertheless, Twilight could see the distress in the mare’s eyes over the long absence of the courier even as she instructed them to wait.

“Is everything alright?” Twilight asked the anxious mare.

“Yes! Everything is quite alright, Princess!” the mare said, giving her an half-hearted smile.

“Maybe we can help…” Twilight told the mare.

“Surely you have other, more urgent matters to attend to, Princess, than finding a missing courier,” she replied.

“Well, we do but they have to do with that courier,” Twilight answered. “So finding him would help both of us out!”

“Well, if that is your choice, Princess,” the managerial mare gave in. “Firstly, I’ve been having a bad feeling from the start of the day, ever since Derpy came to pay us one of her ‘visits’…”

“Derpy was here?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow to that comment.

“Yes… as you can see, she left quite the impression on the front doors,” the mare answered. “Anyways, I had instructed Cloud Slider to show her the way back to Ponyville. But Derpy’s visits always seem to signal some bad luck to come for us. Most of the time it is some physical damage that is done to the office, usually by her, other times it can be missing packages. This time, however…”

“Yes…?” Twilight asked.

“Cloud Slider is not the fastest of our couriers, but he is one of our best,” the mare continued. “He has always reported in on time and has never failed to deliver a package. Him being late is rare, but this is very late already. We’ve also been receiving warnings of sky-pirates out in the large open area between the cities of Equestria. At first, they were just taking things from traveling ponies, but they’ve been growing a bit bolder as of late. They’ve been kidnapping ponies as well, holding them for ransom. Cloudsdale has made appeals to Canterlot for more guards between here and the cities, but the expanse is huge and it also seems that the ship the pirates have their hooves on is very advanced and has some sort of boost to it that allows them to leave the scene quickly after they’ve been identified. I was afraid that it was only a matter of time before they took one of our couriers as we often deliver to rather important and affluent clients.”

“So you think they kidnapped Cloud Slider?” Twilight asked.

“It’s possible,” the mare replied. “I am often quite hard on my couriers, but it is always in their interest. This time, I seemed to have ordered my courier into a net.”

“So what’re we waitin’ for?” Applejack asked. “Let’s go find him!”

“It is not quite that simple,” the mare said, stopping the group from leaving the post office. “As I’ve said already, the area where we believe them to be is very large. One lone ship is hard to find out there.”

“So there’s no way to find them?” Twilight asked.

“Maybe not. I won’t stop you from searching for him but none of the guards Princess Celestia has sent have been able to pin down these pirates,” the mare said as she stepped out of the group’s way.

“What should we do, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“Well… Princess Celestia said that we are the guardians of Equestria, right? So I don’t think there should be a question about what we should do then!” Twilight answered confidently. “Besides, how else are we going to find out about the pony who’s researching dragons? Let’s go rescue us a courier, girls!”

“But how are we ever going to find those… pirates?” Fluttershy swallowed hard.

“With our eyes, silly!” Pinkie said as she rushed off. “Besides, it gives me chance to finally wear my eye-patches. Twilight got to wear one last time, now it’s my turn!”

“How do you have eye-patches planted up here in Cloudsdale, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Oh silly Dashie, I brought them last time we were here!” Pinkie said, bouncing happily away. “I have plenty! Since you’re extra cool, you can have two!”

“AGH!!! Stop it, Pinkie! I can’t see!” Rainbow Dash said, trying to rip off the patches planted on both her eyes. She managed to remove them just in time to see a familiar face flying at her at a dangerous speed.

“Oh! Hi, Rainbow Dash!”  Derpy greeted the pegasus being firmly squeezed into the clouds below under her weight.

“Derpy?” Rainbow Dash managed to ask before disappearing below the clouds.

“Not to sound rude, but what are you doing here, darling?” Rarity asked.

“Hmm…” the grey pegasus rubbed her hoof against the underside of her muzzle. “I can’t remember?”

“Then maybe you should head back to Ponyville, Derpy…” Twilight suggested. “Before you cause anymore damage.”

“But… I think I had to do something… important…” Derpy strained herself to remember but gave up quickly with a smile. “Nope! Can’t remember!”

“Well, let’s head out, girls!” Twilight told the rest of her group. “We’ve got a long day of searching ahead of us if we want to find those sky-pirates…”

“WAIT! Sky-pirates!?” Derpy interrupted. “Hmm… No! Still can’t remember!”

“Ugh… I guess that means I have to skip my afternoon nap…” Rainbow Dash groaned as she broke through the clouds below the group’s hooves.

“Do you wanna come with us, Derpy!? We’re going to go battle some sky-pirates and rescue a damsel in distress!” Pinkie asked the grey pegasus.

“He’s a stallion, Pinkie,” Applejack corrected her.

“Then what am I supposed to call him!?” Pinkie shouted.

“I dunno, but he ain’t a ‘damsel’,” Applejack answered simply.

“Anyways, you wanna come with us, Derpy?” Pinkie invited the blond pegasus, hoppinh all around her.

“Sure!” Derpy answered as she followed them.

“Should we really have Derpy, of all ponies, tagging along, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash whispered to the purple alicorn.

“She was the last pony with Cloud Slider before he disappeared…” Twilight reluctantly answered. “Besides, we can use the extra wing power while we’re looking for the sky-ship.”

“Wait! Cloud Slider… Sky-ship…?” Derpy said suddenly as if the name triggered her memory. “Nope! Can’t remember a single thing!”

“Let’s hurry up and get this over with already…” Rainbow Dash said. “Can’t believe we’re going to all this trouble to save a delivery colt!”

“Oh come on there, Rainbow!” Applejack said. “It ain’t that bad. How about I give you a mug of cider from our first barrel of the season when we get back? On the house!”

“Now that’s something I can look forward!” the blue daredevil said as she licked her lips..

“Cider!?” Derpy gasped.

“Don’t worry, Derpy,” Applejack reassured her. “Ya can have some too.”

“No! I remember now!” the grey pegasus shouted. “Cloud Slider said to tell Miss Wrangler that he was being kidnapped… but I told him that he was silly. Kids are baby goats. He was being ‘coltnapped’!”

“He thought he was a goat!?” Pinkie laughed.

“You know where Cloud Slider is, Derpy?” Twilight asked surprised.

“I think so… last time I saw him, he was in this big ship with a whole bunch of nice ponies…” Derpy answered. “Their clothes were all torn up though and they smelled kind of bad. They couldn’t sing either!”

“What kind of ship was it?” Twilight inquired further. “What did it look like?”

“I think… it had a black flag… and some bones on it!” the grey pegasus answered. “It was all torn up too!”

“Do you remember where you saw it last?” Twilight continued her line of questions.

“Uh… maybe…” Derpy replied.

“That’s not much to go on…” Twilight said, a bit saddened by the dead end of Derpy’s memory.

“It ain’t much, but it’s all we got,” Applejack said with a strong pat on back for her alicorn friend.

“Perhaps if we bring her along, something else might jog her memory, Twilight,” Rarity told her.

“Well then, we don’t have any time to waste,” Twilight said with more confidence.

“It was this way!” Derpy shouted as she pulled the balloon in a sudden change of direction. “No, wait… This way!”

“Derpy!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “You’ve been making us change direction every two seconds!”

“Yes, darling!” Rarity yelled from the balloon’s basket. “Can you please try to remember where you last saw the ship?”

“Ooooooooh! You want me to take you to the ship?” Derpy asked. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

“ARRGH!!! It’s like having two Pinkies around!” Rainbow Dash screamed. “I… don’t know how long I can take this!”

“Uh… Derpy…?” Fluttershy said, panting heavily from their relentless journey all over rural Equestria.

“Sorry, Fluttershy,” Derpy apologized, momentarily losing her smile. “I was just having fun hanging out with all of you!”

“It’s fine, Derpy… but we’re on an important mission right now,” Twilight cried from the balloon. “So can you please take us to where you saw ship?”

“Sure! This way!” Derpy answered loudly, regaining her wide smile as she pulled the balloon all by herself further away from any town or city.

“What’s that?” Applejack said, spotting a small dot along the horizon.

“Avast! It be the scallywags that plundered our courier!” Pinkie yelled from the top of the balloon, looking through a small telescope she produced seemingly out of thin air. “Full speed ahead, buckos!”

“I think we’ve gone and lost Pinkie…” Applejack commented.

“But we found the ship!” Twilight interrupted. “Hurry, Rainbow Dash!”

“Already on it!” Rainbow Dash said, taking the lead.

“Ya ok there, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked the yellow pegasus who was plastered against the outside of the basket.

“Ready the cannons, lasses! Take no quarter!” Pinkie ordered, tying an Equestrian flag to the balloon.

“Pinkie, darling, I know you’re having fun playing a pirate and all but we don’t have any cannons!” Rarity yelled.

“Arrr! The strumpet be correct!” Pinkie said, sliding back down to the basket. “Then we shall board the enemy vessel!”

“What did you just call me, Pinkie!?” Rarity glared at the pretend pirate.

“Cap’n!” one of the crew yelled out from the crow’s nest of the ship. “We have a small craft coming our way.”

“Throw me the spyglass, matie! Let me see this ship!” the captain replied, spotting a hot air balloon proudly the Equestrian flag. “It be privateers, but they sail with a balloon, me maties!”

“What are yer orders, Cap’n?” the crew stood ready.

“Raise anchor,” the pirate leader told them. “There’s no need for a fight here, me hearties! A balloon can never hope catch the Rocket Wing!”

“Uh… Cap’n?” the lookout called out once more. “We might have a problem! The balloon is closing in on us!”

“Yer eyes be losing their keenness…” the captain said, taking another look through the handheld telescope to find the balloon being accelerated by only two pegasi. “Impossible!”

“They will be upon us any second!” the crew said, also observing the balloon from over the ship’s railing. “Cap’n?”

“We have no choice!” the captain shouted. “Man the helm! We will use the Rocket Wing’s secret weapon!”

“Alright, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cried from the balloon’s basket. “Just a little closer and I can teleport everyone onboard safely!”

“No problem!” Rainbow Dash responded, speeding up her pursuit with Derpy surprisingly keeping up with her pace. “Al… most… there…!”

“What’s that!?” all those aboard the basket, minus Pinkie the Pirate, said in unison as they witness the ship apparently grow two large, red tubes on either side of its rudder.

“It appears to be a pair of rockets! ARRR!” Pinkie answered.

“Rockets?” Rarity repeated.

“Now, how in the hay do ya know that?” Applejack asked the pink pony, who simply smiled and shrugged.

“Hurry, Rainbow!” Twilight yelled out.

“It be too late, lasses!” the captain laughed as he signaled his crew to pull a lonely lever near the ship’s helm.

Just as the two pegasi pulled alongside the ship, it gained a sudden burst of speed, sending the entire balloon and the pegasi guiding it for a whirl. Those in the basket screamed as they held on to the basket for dear life, its violent spinning threatening to hurl them to the ground. Through her training—her training mishaps more so—Rainbow Dash was able to quickly regain her bearings and began attempting to stop the balloon. However, the two scatterbrains of the group seemed to be enjoying the uncontrollable spin.

“WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” Derpy squealed happily as she allowed herself to ride out the whirl.

“HAHAHAHA! This be nothing compared to the storms I have braved on the high seas!” Pinkie laughed as she fearlessly stood on the outside of the basket.

By the time the blue pegasus finally slowed the balloon’s rapid rotation, the ship that was once with a stone’s throw was now a mere speck on the horizon. The group looked dishearteningly as the ship’s far off dot. However, Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at the slowly shrinking dot as she slipped free of the ropes binding her to the balloon.

“Guess that’s what the manager meant by ‘an advanced ship’…” Twilight said, finally regaining her composure.

“Rainbow?” Applejack asked, noticing the determined look on the mare’s face.

“They’re not getting away that easy!” Rainbow Dash said. “Come on, Derpy, Flutter…”

“I don’t think she’s feeling up to it right now, darling…” Rarity stated as they dragged the worn and dizzy yellow pegasus onboard.

“Well, if you can slow them down, Rainbow,” Twilight told her. “We can catch up as soon as Fluttershy has had some rest.”

“Then I guess it’s just me and you, Derpy!” Rainbow Dash said, grabbing hold of the grey pegasus. “Let’s get ‘em!”

The courier in the lower deck finally peeled off the wall as the ship regained a manageable speed. Throughout the boost, he had been pinned, face first, against the splintered wood of the inside of the ship’s hull. After hearing the ruckus from the deck above, he had wished it to be some sort rescue squad sent to retrieve him and stop the pirates. However, hearing the crew cheer and seeing one of them check up on him quickly diminished the only glimmer of hope he had of being liberated.

“I told you, buckos! As long as we have the Rocket Wing, no pony can ever hope to catch us!” the captain told his crew, all taking a swig of some mugs they had. “She’s the fastest ship around!”

“Cap’n!” the crow’s nest crew member called out. “Two pegasi approaching quickly from behind!”

“Arr! These lasses just don’t know when to give up!” the captain laughed.

“Should we use Rocket Wing’s secret weapon, Cap’n?” the crew asked.

“No need for that, me maties!” the captain shouted. “It be only two mares!”

The captain immediately gestured his pegasi crew members to gather the rope and prepare for the capture. The raggedy crew patiently waited for the two pegasi to close in and allow them a chance to incase them in rope, ideas of adding to their haul of hostages rushing through their heads. However, all instantly lost heart and became wide-eyed when they realized the speed at which their attackers were approaching. Unfortunately, they had no time to rethink their strategy as the duo blew past them, enwrapping them in their own bindings.

“Eh? She be a fast one!” the captain said to himself. “All hooves on deck!”

“Finally, some action!” Rainbow Dash smiled cockily. “I might just get to my afternoon nap after all!”

“Ooooo! Ooooo!” Derpy exclaimed, twirling in the air. “What should I do, Rainbow Dash!?”

“Uh…” Rainbow Dash stuttered, trying to find a task for the clumsy pegasus to do that would not cause some sort disaster for her. “You can… get the wheel!”

“I’m on it!” Derpy saluted playfully.

The blue rainbow easily outmaneuvered any and all of the floor-bound crew on board the ship. Not even the remaining pegasi not trapped in rope could even come so close as to touch her. Unfortunately, all she was able to do is keep them distracted. Were she to land and try to fight them herself, she would undoubtedly be overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. However, this was more than enough as she kept their attention from grey pegasus who whimsically approached the ship’s helm.

“Arrr! I’ve had just about enough of this little lass!” the captain yelled as he removed his large hat, revealing his glowing horn underneath.

A gasp escaped Rainbow Dash’s mouth as the captain shot a powerful magic blast. She just managed to dodge the short burst of magical energy but a quick follow up blast knocked her out of the air.

“I must say, lass! You are quite the flyer!” the captain told the downed pegasus. “Why don’t you come and join my crew? Be me first mate with all the freedom that you can ever want! No responsibilities, just open skies and booty aplenty! What do you say, lassie?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“No, lass! You’ve made quick work of me boys!” the captain remarked as he offered his hoof. “With your speed and the Rocket Wing, we’ll plunder all of Equestria’s treasures and the landlubbers will never know what hit them! What do you say?”

“Ha! In your dreams, pal!” the blue pegasus answered sassily, slapping away the captain’s hoof. “It’ll take a lot more than that for me to ever betray my friends like that… Besides, I don’t think that they let pirates into the Wonderbolts!”

“I see…” the captain said as he hung his head. “What a shame! Oh well, boys take…”

“I got it, Rainbow Dash!” Derpy interrupted the pirate leader, waving the ship’s wheel above her head.

“Cap’n!” some of the crew shouted from behind the blond pegasus as they attempted to grab hold of the broken wooden rod that the wheel once attached to, only to have their hooves riddled with splinters. “We’ve lost control of the ship! We’re headed to straight to Canterlot!”

“I didn’t mean literally get the wheel, Derpy!” Rainbow Dash told her, quickly taking flight once more.

“Lower the sails! Kill the propellers! Drop the anchor! Slow the ship!” the captain manically ordered. “We must not reach Canterlot! The guards will swarm us within seconds!”

It had seemed that in trying to escape the small balloon that chased them, the crew had inadvertently steered the ship into a direct course for Canterlot. The few pegasi crew members that remained immediately moved to the ship’s bow and pushed against it with all the power their wings would muster. However, even with the ship’s engines dead and sails down, the ship still retained much of its momentum and it was more than enough to resist any attempt made by the pegasi to slow it down.

An idea quickly formed in Rainbow Dash’s mind as she thought over the last sentence the captain had yelled. Should the ship reach the boundaries of Canterlot, the guards will be able to help in apprehending the pirates and save her and her friends the trouble. She quickly began to interrupt the pegasi in front of the ship and the grounded crew members heading for the anchor release with quick tackles and powerful kicks from her hindlegs. Her speed and agility made it easy for her to stop any and all their efforts to slow the sky-ship as well as avoid the captain’s magical blasts. Soon the regal city came into clear view and so did the guards. Unfortunately, Rainbow’s plan worked a little too well and the ship abruptly rammed through the guards that attempted to stand in its way.

Soon the seemingly unstoppable ship swept over the city, damaging the rooftops of many shops and homes with its hull as it passed by. The pirates found their ship on collision course with the royal castle of Canterlot. With no way to steer it from its current path or slow it down, most, including the captain, began abandoning the ship and jumping into the custody of the waiting guards below, leaving only the two mares onboard. Many of the guards began joining the pirates at the bow of the ship, attempting to stop the ship before it reached the regal structure. Seeing the effectiveness of her plan getting out of hand, the blue pegasus also lent her own wing power to stop the flying vessel.

The patrols along the castle’s walkways seemed almost oblivious to the ship headed right towards them; their usually boring and uneventful jobs had dulled their senses over time. Two guards in particular were more concerned with their conversation and remained ignorant to outside world. However, their little chit-chat was promptly cut short as they noticed a shadow darkening their surroundings. Turning their attention towards the skies ahead of them, they saw the ship slowly headed right towards them. Both instantly went into a shaky embrace as they clenched their eyelids and waited for their demise. Luckily for them, the Princess of the Sun had noticed the impending disaster they had not and immediately intervened, using her magic to slow the ship to a halt and save the terrified guards meant to protect her and the castle.

Both guards and pirates alike dropped out of the air, exhausted from stopping the ship from crashing into the castle. Rainbow Dash hesitantly looked below to the relieved Princess and fear-paralyzed guards. She wiped her brow and gave a deep sigh. Unfortunately, it seemed that her troubles were still far from over.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Derpy called from the deck of the ship. “I found the break!”

“The break?” Rainbow Dash asked herself.

Flying back onto the deck and looking towards the airheaded pegasus, she saw that she was gripping a lever near the location of the ship’s former helm. A memory of the pirates pulling the same before the ship gained its rocket boost flashed through her mind as her eyes widened and pupils shrunk.

“DERPY, WAIT!” Rainbow Dash called. “DON- ”

It was too late. Derpy had already pulled the lever. The ship gave a quick jerk forward before slamming into the castle with the full force of the rockets. Thanks to the quick reflexes of Princess Celestia, her and her guards were magically flashed far from the impact point. No pony seemed to be hurt from the crashed, but the same could not be said about the once beautiful castle. That is except for the poor courier below the deck of the ship who was hurled out of the destroyed hull and ricocheted against the debris of the castle, eventually landing on a walkway below.

“I-I’m alive!” Cloud Slider cried as he bounced against the floor in joy. However, his happiness was short lived as an anchor soon came crashing in from above and crushed him under its weight.

“HI, PRINCESS CELESTIA!” Derpy waved from the half-destroyed ship’s anchor release, while the other pegasus aboard struggled to remain conscious.

“Princess!” Twilight called from her balloon’s basket as the remainder of the group finally caught up with the ship. “Uh-oh…”

“Oh my…” Rarity commented as the rest of the group saw the accident.

“Aww… I didn’t even get to say: Prepare to be boarded!” Pinkie whined.