Edited by Slayerseba and Halusm

Influence

<<>><<>><<>>

Shortly after Queen Chrysalis collapsed

With a green glow encompassing her body, a weakly protesting Queen Chrysalis was lifted back onto her bed.

Danny, his hand aglow, ignored the weak threats against his being over such humiliation and instead kept the struggling, yet cooperative queen firmly locked in his spectral hold.

And standing next to him, Erlea looked at her mother with large, concerned eyes.

"Release me, human! I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Now that's a lie if I ever heard one," Danny commented, not amused in the slightest. "I told you time and time again to take it easy, to allow the medicine to work and for your body to recover. Instead, you keep pushing yourself well past your limits, and look where it got you. So, no. I will not release you. Not until I am certain you won't do anything else stupid."

"YOU DARE!?" Queen Chrysalis snapped, glaring in the direction she heard his voice come from.

"Yes, I do!" Danny said strongly. "And misplaced anger over your own fault aside, I will not allow you to continue like this," he stepped closer to her, and both Chrysalis and Erlea recoiled from the wave of anger they felt coming from him. "You will rest! And I will see to it that you do so, even if I have to knock you out and tie you to your bed. But I will not let you kill yourself because of your own foolhardiness. So kindly shut up and go to sleep. NOW!"

The suppressed anger in his voice left no room for argument, yet this did little to deter the stubborn queen.

"You will liste-"

"No, you will listen to me! So shut it, and no more arguments."

"Mom!" Erlea spoke up as her mother tried to retort. "Please listen to Danny. We can take care of ourselves. Don't make things worse by pushing yourself even further than this."

Hearing this come from her daughter doused the anger she felt. An anger born from her own folly, but unable to accept her own shortcomings she aimed it at the wrong being.

Deflating, Chrysalis stopped her struggles and allowed Danny to lay her down fully.

Danny sighed, shaking his head. "You're too stubborn for your own good, you know that?"

"So I have been told," she murmured through her teeth, eyes closed.

"Good. Next time maybe also listen to it," he released his hold over the queen. "Erlea," he then looked at the young shapeshifter. "One of my doubles has already informed Zecora, and she's working on a potion that may help your mother but it will be some time before it is ready."

He looked off to the side, listening.

"And Zecora also said any further stress may make things even worse," he added after a short moment, looking at the bedraggled queen. "So if you needed any more reason to stay put, there you have it."

"I already agreed to rest," Chrysalis half growled through her teeth.

Danny merely rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"I can feel that," she added in a hiss.

"I know," he replied. "Erlea," he returned his attention to the young shapeshifter, "I take it you wish to stay here with your mom, right?"

Erlra nodded in reply.

"Alright. Probably for the better, too. Your mom does tend to listen to you, so hopefully you can talk some sense to her before she does anything else stupid."

Chrysalis replied with a growl.

"Don't give me a reason," Danny warned her.

"Is there- Is there anything else I can do to help?" Asked Erlea.

"For now, just keep any panic from spreading. No doubt word has already gotten out about what happened, so it's better to get on top of that before it gets out of hand," he told her. "And don't get any ideas of getting creative with the truth," he aimed at Chrysalis. "You're resting, and that also means you're not going to spend your time talking over the hive mind."

"And how do you plan to stop me if I do?"

Danny crossed his arms. "Possession is still a valid option," he warned.

"... Noted," she said begrudgingly.

"Glad we're on the same page here. Now rest!"

And as the ill queen reluctantly did as she was told, Erlea couldn't help herself but to stare in awe at the tall human as he managed to perform yet another impossible feat.

Threatening her mother to behave, and getting away with it.

<<>><<>><<>>

Word had gotten in of Queen Chrysalis' condition, and Zecora wasted no time on preparing the required potion to, potentially, undo the damage.

Of course, she was also told, repeatedly, by Danny how the stubborn changelink refused to listen, and more than once pushed herself past her limits. Which of course also left no doubt in Zecora's mind why she was stricken by one of the more severe side effects.

She told Danny, who then relayed this to his double, that bedrest was an absolute necessity to prevent further complications.

How effective that would be remained to be seen.

Regardless, she had work to do, and time to dwell on those thoughts she didn't have as she added more ingredients to her brew, then stirred it exactly thirty four times clockwise, before adding another batch of ingredients.

"This potion is nearly done, but I can't guarantee the affliction can be overcome," she spoke up, never looking away from her work, drawing Danny's attention. "An hour more is left to brew, after that the cooling I will leave up to you."

"Understood," Danny nodded, relaying the info to his double. "And how're you holding up for ingredients?" He asked a moment later.

"What I have now will suffice, but I won't be able to make this potion twice."

"Orchestrate another supply run, got it" Danny nodded. "We have to find a way to make this easier for us," he added, more to himself.

"To this, I will agree. But a direct answer I do not see," Zecora replied.

"Yeah, no kidding," Danny agreed with a sigh. "We're stretched thin as it is, and even with the few changelinks available, there is only so much area we can cover in a reasonable time. And what places we can go to, we've pretty much picked clean already."

"An answer will come, of that I am sure. Until such times, we just need to endure."

"Easy to say for you and me, but them? They may not have the luxury."

"Yet worrying will help you not, so it's better to focus your attention where it won't be for naught."

"Guess I can't argue with that," Danny had to agree. "Still don't like it, but you're right," he sighed deeply. "Okay. Finish this potion first, heal the queen, and we'll see what happens from there."

Zecora nodded in agreement, then returned her focus on her work.

'I just hope that whatever happens next won't end up biting us in the ass,' Danny added in thought.

<<>><<>><<>>

The next morning

Danny nodded awake and sluggishly looked around, then down as he became aware of a weight pressing down on his chest.

Snoring slightly, Sweetie Belle lay partially over him, pinning him down.

His mind still working out the basic faculties of coherent thought, he blinked owlishly for a good minute before he fully registered what he was looking at.

When he did, a quizzical eyebrow rose up while he glanced off to the other side of the room, and the now unoccupied bed.

A loud, rumbling snort immediately pulled his attention to the foot of his bed. Pushing up his head as far as he could without disturbing the slumbering filly, he noticed the small green ball of fur that was Cujo, fast asleep as well.

'Now when did this happen?' He wondered.

He lay there for a little while longer, but it didn't look like Sweetie Belle was about to wake up. And not wanting to disturb the young filly either, he slowly sank down the mattress using his intangibility until the slumbering filly lay flat on the bed.

Slipping out from underneath the bed, chalking up another win for intangibility, Danny stretched himself out, then noticed Cujo looking at him with one eye partially open.

Danny silently hushed him, and Cujo returned back to sleep.

Nodding to himself, Danny quietly left the room, missing the golden shimmer beginning to glow around Sweetie Belle's horn.

<<>><<>><<>>

"So, how's she holding up?" Asked Danny, once more finding himself in Chrysalis' bedchamber, looking at the bedraggled queen as she pretended to sleep, while Erlea lay next to her, awake and alert.

"It went as well as you expected," she answered with a sigh. "That potion Zecora made had some strong side effects that kept mom up all night."

"Yeah, no surprise there," Danny sighed as well, hand on the back of his head.

Much like the initial potion that had the undesirable of Chrysalis losing her sight, the potential cure also left much to desire when it came to benign side reactions. And while nowhere as extreme as losing function in one or more organs, full body shivers combined with severe vertigo and nausea certainly did a number on the worn out queen.

"Any sign her sight is coming back, or too soon to tell?"

"Too soon to tell," Erlea answered.

"Figured as much. Okay, I'll go and get something to drink. Maybe it will help, maybe it won't. But at least she needs some fluids."

"Okay," Erlea replied, tired.

"I'll be back soon," he promised, then quickly and quietly left the room.

"Thank you," Erlea said softly after he was gone, laying her head down on the mattress. "Truly, thank you."

<<>><<>><<>>

With a groan, Sweetie Belle stirred.

For a while she blindly fumbled, grasping, searching for something her still very much asleep mind couldn't identify.

A weight moved, then settled down before her, and her hooves automatically reached out and grabbed whatever it was, pulling it closer to her as she nuzzled her face into the mass.

Something struck her face.

Then again, and again and again.

The sudden, relentless assault jarred her awake and she tried to push away, only to get caught in a constricting hold keeping her pinned into place.

"GHWA-" She cried out, flailing her only free foreleg, unfocused eyes shooting open and trying to find the source of the attack.

"Ruff!" Cujo barked happily.

"Cujo? What is hap-"

She was struck in the face again, and this time she noticed the energetically wagging tail as it approached for another hit, then another.

"WHA- NO!" Wap wap wap. "Bad dog," she swiped at the tail with her hoof. "Cut it out!" Wap wap wap. "Please, stop."

"Ruff," Cujo barked, quickly spinning around and delivering a slobbering lick all over Sweetie Belle's face.

"GHAA-" Sweetie Belle gasped, then shuddered as slobber dripped down her chin and onto the bed.

"Arf," Cujo said, looking mightily pleased with himself.

"So this is what Zecora went through," Sweetie Belle groaned, trying to keep her mouth from moving too much and keep the coating of saliva from seeping into her mouth.

Cujo replied by scratching himself behind an ear, then shook his head and leaped off the bed; barking excitedly while chasing his tail.

'This is going to be a long day,' Sweetie Belle mentally groaned.

<<>><<>><<>>

With a quick application of intangibility, Sweetie Belle was slobber-free once again. Of course, this only encouraged Cujo to begin another slobbering assault, which forced Sweetie Belle into a hasty escape. Using all abilities available to her to try and evade the hyperactive pup hellbent on showing her his affection.

Dodging and weaving through the many different hallways, phasing through walls and floors, and hiding in whatever shadowy corner she could find, she quickly realized there was no escape from Cujo's keen sense of smell, nor far greater experience in utilizing his powers for chaos and mayhem. And as she rounded another corner, the inevitable happened. She collided with a most unfortunate changelink.

"GHWA-" The air exploded out of Abella as Sweetie Belle rocketed into her, and together the two tumbled over the floor before coming to a stop.

"WHAT THE HAY!" Abella wheezed, biting away the pain, the collision aggravating her injuries.

"I'm sorry. I-" Sweetie Belle stammered a reply, then froze as her ears twitched, hearing the rapidly approaching puppy-shaped disaster just around the corner. "We've got to run," she said, panicking.

"What?" Said Abella, confused.

"No time to explain," she grabbed Abella around the barrel and flew off with her. At the same time, Cujo jumped around the corner, barking energetically and wagging so fast his tail was near imperceptible.

Seeing his current target fly off, now holding onto a struggling Abella, he barked even louder and continued the chase: tongue lolling out of his mouth and flapping in the air as he ran as fast as his little legs could manage. But when this eventually proved to be insufficient, a quick growth spurt was all that was required to allow him to close the gap some more.

"Arf," he called out, far louder and deeper as he chased the retreating fillies.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Shouted Abella, looking at the rapidly approaching hound with large eyes.

"NOTHING," shouted Sweetie Belle. "HE JUST DID THAT RIGHT AFTER I WOKE UP!"

"WELL YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT!"

This back and forth continued for a little while longer as Sweetie Belle flew as fast as she could, doors flashing by in a blur, not really paying attention to what or who they passed.

****

A couple of minutes earlier

Danny moved through the castle at a leisurely pace, a pitcher of water, a couple of glasses, and a small vial with more medicine levitating by his side.

Once again he marveled at the fact he could now use levitation and in extent wondered how similar magic and spectral energy were to allow for him to do so, despite their apparent hostility to each other.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted, however, when from a distance, rapidly growing louder, he heard Sweetie Belle and Abella shouting. And, even more worrisome, Cujo barking.

"Oh hell," he muttered, already feeling a headache begin to form when Sweetie Belle flew around the corner, carrying Abella with her, clearly not noticing him standing off to the side.

A moment later, Cujo skidded around the corner, clearly hyperactive and obviously enjoying himself as he, too, ran past Danny without noticing the annoyed human.

Silence.

"Yep," Danny muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

He slowly placed the items he carried down on the floor, using the few seconds to force down his headache. Then he stood straight, looked down the path of canine chaos, pulled his head to the side until a pop came from his neck, and then sighed loudly.

"Well, nothing has gone wrong for the last couple of hours. Guess we were long overdue for some chaos," and he joined the chase.

<<>><<>><<>>

Sweetie Belle flew as fast as she could, moving through hallway after hallway with blurring speed; passing several confused and shocked changelink foals, who in turn ran away the moment Cujo made himself known.

"GO FASTER!" Shouted Abella. "HE'S GAINING ON US."

"I'M GOING AS FAST AS I CAN!"

True enough, despite her best efforts, Cujo was closing the gap between them; his slobbering tongue a clear giveaway of what his plan was upon capture of his prey.

A sudden bright ice-blue flash lit up the place behind them, and a confused bark came from Cujo.

Risking a glance back, Sweetie Belle almost crashed into a wall upon seeing what had happened.

Cujo, locked in his stance, slid forward to them, encased in a chunk of ice, leaving only his head exposed.

Still, this did little to curb his enthusiasm, and he playfully bit the air as he slid closer to the pair.

A wavering blue glow encompassed the ice, and gradually Cujo came to a stop, then began to slide back the way he came; moving towards Danny, standing with a blue glowing hand held out towards the rampaging dog.

Rotating around until he faced the annoyed human, Cujo barked happily.

"Hiya!"

Danny sighed out, shaking his head.

"Any reason why you decided to chase after those two?" He asked.

"What two? I only went after Sweetie Belle."

"Okay. Any reason why you decided to chase after Sweetie Belle?"

"Cause she hugged my butt."

"She, what?" Danny faltered, surprised.

"She hugged-" his tail began moving so fast it melted the ice around it "-my butt!"

Danny stood silent, barely even blinking as he processed that.

"What did he say?" Sweetie Belle asked from a distance, still holding on to Abella.

"Butt hugger!" Cujo barked excitedly.

Danny placed a hand over his face, groaning loudly. "You can let go of Abella," he said, hand still covering his face. "He has no interest in her. Just you."

"What? But why?" Asked Sweetie Belle while she lowered Abella to the ground.

"Because, and I can't believe I'm saying this, you hugged his butt."

"BUTT HUGGER!" Cujo agreed with gusto.

"WHAT!?" Shouted Sweetie Belle, clearly disgusted. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, she did!" Cujo countered happily.

Danny gave him a side eye, suppressing a groan. "Did you grab hold of something while asleep?" He asked the filly, having a good idea what might have happened.

"What? Eh… I mean, maybe? Can't really remember if I did."

"Okay, did you wake up near Cujo?"

"Well, yeah. But only because his tail kept hitting my-" She fell silent.

"Butt hugger!" Cujo said once again, pleased with himself.

"And there it is," Danny sighed out, shaking his head. He then looked back at Sweetie Belle, the filly looking at Cujo in abject horror.

"You hugged the dog's butt?" Abells asked, disgusted, looking at Sweetie Belle.

"Yes, she did!" Said Cujo, unable to be understood by Abella, while his tail had now wagged its way through the ice.

"... I need a shower," said Sweetie Belle, and she quickly rushed off.

"You do that, yes," Danny replied as she ran past him. "As for you," he looked at Cujo with blue glowing eyes. "You and I are going to have a talk about your behavior."

"What did I do?" Cujo asked innocently.

"Oh, I'm sure you know exactly what I am talking about," and with a glow from his hand, he dragged the no longer wagging dog with him.

<<>><<>><<>>

"So… butt hugger?" Abella said, standing around a corner while Sweetie Belle stepped out of the shower of her guest room.

"Not a word," she grumbled, then allowed the water to fall to the floor by using her intangibility, just like she had seen Danny do in the classroom.

"Good luck with that" Abella replied, her smirk audible. "Word has already spread over the hive mind.

"Perfect," Sweetie Belle groaned as she stepped out of the bathroom, looking at Abella waiting for her. "At least this day can't get any worse."

"Don't you ponies have a saying about saying such things?"

"Oh, pony feathers," Sweetie Belle grumbled, sighing deeply.

"Maybe we should just move on from this," Abella suggested. "Are you hungry? You ate a lot of emotions the other day, but you're still a pony and we don't really know how that would affect you."

"I do feel a bit hungry, yes," Sweetie Belle replied, glad for the change of topic.

"Interesting," Abella hummed.

"What is?"

"The amount of energy you consumed would be enough to keep us fed for a week or so, so the fact you have room for more does say something."

"What does it say?"

"Either you burn through the energy a lot faster than us changeling- ks do, or negative emotions are less fulfilling. Or maybe you are just a glutton."

"Hey!"

"Either way, we learned something. What it is, no idea. But it's something."

Sweetie Belle sighed out. "Great. More unexplained questions about my powers."

"Nothing new there," Abella shrugged. "At least you're not out of control, so there's that."

"That doesn't really make me feel any better."

"Maybe we should just focus on your training; figure out the answer."

"Yeah… let's do that," Sweetie Belle replied with some forced enthusiasm.

Abella nodded, and together the two left the guest room.

<<>><<>><<>>

"Sorry about the delay," said Danny as he entered Chrysalis' bedroom. "Had a bit of an issue with a certain pup who should know better," he closed the door behind him.

"It's okay," said Erlea, sitting on her mother's bed; the ill queen was also awake and her eyes open, yet staring at nothing.

"I brought you some more medicine," Danny said, looking at Chrysalis, her eyes moving to where she heard his voice come from. "And some water to wash it down," he sloshed the pitcher, then poured some water into one of the glasses he carried.

With effort, Chrysalis pushed herself upright, swaying slightly. "I suppose I should be thankful. But seeing what that medicine did to me last night, this feels more like a punishment than healing."

Danny bit his tongue and kept from commenting on that, and instead moved closer with the now full glass of water, and the medicine.

"Here's the bottle," he gently pressed the item against Chrysalis' muzzle to feel. "Drink this first," he instructed, and a weak glow surrounded the bottle as Chrysalis took hold of it.

With clumsy motions, Chrysalis drained the contents with a grimace, swallowing heavily.

"And here's some water," Danny similarly offered the glass while taking the empty bottle.

Far more greedily, Chrysalis drained the glass with clear relief as she could wash away the horrid taste in her mouth.

"Need a refill?" He asked, and Chrysalis moved the glass to, then past him.

Reaching out and grabbing the glass with his free hand, Danny refilled the glass and then returned it to Chrysalis.

After the second glass was empty, Chrysalis lay back down, leaving Danny to grab the glass out of her weak magical hold before it fell.

"Zecora said the effects may be lesser this time," he then informed her, "but it still won't be pleasant. Try to get as much rest as you can, and let me know if anything is wrong."

"She will," Erlea answered for her mother.

"Good," Danny nodded, then pulled the second glass to him with his spectral hold. "Do you need a drink, too?" He asked her.

Erlea looked at him with grateful, yet confused eyes. Not at all used to anyone to ever show this much kindness and consideration to any of her kind.

"Yes please," she said, looking away.

Filling the second glass, he allowed Erlea to take it out of his grasp as she levitated it to herself with noticeably more control than her visually impaired mother.

"Thanks," she said, taking a small sip.

"No problem," said Danny. "I'll also leave this," he held up the half-full pitcher, "on the table here in case either of you want more."

"You're leaving?" Asked Erlea, surprised.

"For a little while," he answered. "I'm gonna check up on Sweetie Belle. See how she's doing."

"Why don't you duplicate yourself?"

"Because I already have a few others running around, and I don't want to stretch myself too thin, power-wise, in case of an emergency. That said, I do need to orchestrate another supply run before Zecora runs out, so I will duplicate for that."

"Right, right. Makes sense," Erlea said, looking at her glass. "How long do you think that will take? I mean, with how far you need to go just to find anything?"

"With some luck, not long at all," he replied, and the sudden wave of excitement flowing from him made both Erlea and Chrysalis look up in confusion.

"Explain," said Chrysalis.

"Something went down last night. Something that may very well buy us the time needed to solve all the urgent problems we're facing," Danny said, not really answering anything.

"What did?" Erlea asked.

"First off, Bon Bon may have figured out a way to get a semi-stable supply of food for you guys. Still need to work out the details on that one, but it looks promising," Erlea gasped, while Chrysalis managed to hide her surprise.

"And the other thing?"

"Fenris fought for dominance with the timberwolves' leader, and he, and to an extent, I, are now the new Alpha of the timberwolves. They've been searching the Everfree all night for any and all medicinal plants, so with some luck, there should be a sizable amount of ingredients waiting for me to pick up."

Silence.

"You, what?!" Chrysalis balked.

"I'm the new leader of the timberwolves, alongside Fenris," he calmly repeated.

Both changelinks stared at Danny. The fact she was blind not stopping Chrysalis in the slightest

"So anyway, I'm off to see how Sweetie Belle's doing. And then gather more supplies," he said, then, when no reply came his way, he stepped out of the room, chuckling silently to himself.

Silence.

"Just what is that human?" Asked Chrysalis.

Erlea had no answer to give.

<<>><<>><<>>

Sweetie Belle and Abella made their way through the city, crossing a bridge from one stalactite to another, and seeing the many foals running around as, with a new day, a new run for medicine had begun.

A good number of sick changelinks had begun to recover, as Abella explained to Sweetie Belle, yet it would still be many weeks before any of them would be in a state that could be considered healthy.

Even then, Sweetie Belle didn't fail to pick up on the wave of relief coming from Abella.

"We may actually recover from this," Abella said thankfully. "I'd never thought it was possible until now."

They stopped as a group of foals ran past, numerous empty bottles clinking together.

"Not may recover," Sweetie Belle disagreed. "You will recover. My friends and I will see to it."

Abella was quiet for a moment, clearly having a silent debate with herself.

"Yes, I suppose I should say that," she agreed, and the two continued moving again."Still difficult to believe that all of this happened because you and your friends managed to find us. Our enemy, saving us. And then Danny found us as well," she chuckled ruefully. "Centuries of hiding, with nopony even finding us. Then you three show up, then more and more."

"Well, doing the things nopony wants us to do is kinda what we do," Sweetie Belle chuckled. "Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and I've gotten in a lot of trouble because of it. Never thought we would also get others out of trouble because of it."

"You ponies are weird," Abella smiled.

"And we wouldn't have it any other way," Sweetie Belle laughed.

"How did my ancestors ever manage to live together with yours?" Abella asked jokingly.

"Maybe you changelinks are a bit weird, too," Sweetie Belle supplied.

Abella gasped in mock shock. "Us changelinks being as weird as you ponies? Never."

"Well it certainly looked that way when you and your friends had that argument back at the orchard," she recalled, remembering how one of them even transformed into a zebra with purple dots just to make her point to Erlea.

"That was different."

"Really? How?"

"Devora and I had to tell Erlea just how crazy she was for getting involved with you lot."

Sweetie Belle smirked. "So she did something crazy, huh?"

"Don't twist my words, pony!"

"What's there to twist, changelink?"

Abella was taken aback, staring at a smugly looking Sweetie Belle. Then she chuckled.

"Well played, butt hugger."

Sweetie Belle faltered in her step, almost tripping, much to Abella's amusement.

"Very funny," Sweetie Belle glared at the bug next to her.

"I know," Abella tittered.

Sweetie Belle's glare intensified, her eyes staring to glow.

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

"Don't know. Is it?"

"You'll have to try harder than that to make a meal out of me," Abella replied, unimpressed.

Sweetie Belle flinched back, her eyes stopping to glow.

"I wasn't trying to do that," she strongly denied.

"Didn't you say a moment ago you could eat?"

"Yes. Real food. Not whatever that other side needs."

"And what I eat isn't real?"

"You know what I mean," Sweetie Belle groaned. "Besides, not like you can eat any of that to begin with."

"True, but can't say I'm picky either. Never had the chance. I don't even know if I have a favorite food. Never had enough to be able to tell, so the fact we now actually had enough to fill us, even if only for a moment, is rather overwhelming."

"I can't imagine," Sweetie Belle replied, looking down.

"In all honesty, if it wasn't for your friends suddenly radiating all that food, I don't know we would be doing this well. And the thought of some of us risking going back and forth between your town and here just to get more makes me ill just thinking about it, and what could no doubt go wrong."

"I guess it's a good thing you've got me then," Sweetie Belle said, smiling weakly.

Recently she, too, began to radiate the energy the changelinks ate. It was a moment that moved her deeply as it showed they had managed to forgive her for what she did when her powers ran rampant, even when she still struggled with the guilt she felt.

"Yeah," Abella agreed. "It gives us a bit more time. I just hope it will be enough."

"It will be," Sweetie Belle assured her.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because we're here now. Me, Danny, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Zecora, Wind Chill, all of us."

"And what about Cujo?" Abella asked, smirking.

"I have no idea who you're talking about," Sweetie Belle turned up her nose in a similar fashion as her older sister.

"Suuure," Abella chuckled.

They slowed down as they approached the school, seeing Danny lean against the closed door, arms crossed and looking around.

"Danny?" Sweetie Belle called out, and Danny turned his attention to them, pushing away from the door.

"Sweetie Belle, Abella, how're you two doing?" He asked. "Getting chased by Cujo is never a fun experience, so I thought I'd check up on you two."

"I'm fine," answered Sweetie Belle. "More frustrated than anything."

Danny nodded in understanding.

"Me?" Abella shrugged. "Mostly amused," she chuckled. Sweetie Belle looked at her with a deadpan stare.

"That's good to hear," said Danny. "Cujo means well, but he doesn't really understand the concept of moderation… or boundaries."

"I noticed," Sweetie Belle said flatly.

Abella snickered.

"Anyhow, need any help with your training?"

"Maybe?" Sweetie Belle replied. "We just figured something out about my powers. Not sure what though."

"Oh?"

"She seems to burn rather fast through the energy she's consumed," said Abella. "No idea why that is."

"Interesting," Danny murmured, looking away in thought. "There could be a variety of reasons for that. Normally, for me at least, using your powers excessively also increases your appetite. But you instead took in energy, so that counters that idea. But…" He trailed off.

"But what?" Asked Sweetie Belle.

"It's nothing more than speculation. But maybe it holds some similarities to my ice powers."

"How is eating emotions similar to controlling ice?" Abella asked, confused.

"It isn't," Danny replied. "But I can take in the cold around me. Maybe it works in a similar way to Sweetie Belle taking in emotions, though I admit it is a stretch," he shrugged.

"Yeah, that's really stretching it," Abella remarked.

"Honestly, you'd never know with these powers. But I agree that I'm most likely wrong with this. Still, if you want-" he looked at Sweetie Belle, "-I can ask the Elder about it. Maybe she knows."

"You're going to the Far Frozen?" Asked Sweetie Belle.

"I'm going to the Everfree to get more ingredients for Zecora. Not much of a detour to the Far Frozen."

"Yes please," she nodded. "I would rather find out now what this is. Not after…. I lose control again."

Danny nodded in understanding. "Alright. I'll see what I can learn. But don't forget about the books I brought you, too. Maybe you can find an answer in there."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about those."

"Okay then. You'll have a go and read those while I go and see the Elder."

"Okay," Sweetie Belle replied cheerfully, making Danny chuckle.

"Keep an eye on her for me, will ya?" He aimed at Abella.

"I can do that, sure," Abella grinned. "Will there be a double of you around here?"

"At Zecora's," Danny replied as he lifted up in the air.

"Noted," Abella nodded.

"Alright, time to head out. I'll see you two later," and he flew away.

The two fillies watched as he left, then looked back at each other.

"So shall we start with those books?" Asked Sweetie Belle.

"Sure, I guess. Where did you leave them?"

"I, ehh…" Sweetie Belle was silent for a moment. "Back at the guest room."

Abella stared at her flatly.

"Alright," she sighed heavily. "Back we go."

<<>><<>><<>>

Moving through the city with little purpose, Wind Chill studied his surroundings, frowning slightly.

Ever since the immediate crisis had been resolved and the first signs of recovery began to show, he couldn't help but feel on edge. The problems they had faced, and subsequently resolved merely were the results of a far greater disaster lurking beneath the surface.

Of course, this was well known, as was the true cause, but therein lay the danger, and the worry.

He knew the Great One could not and would not leave this unresolved, and he would face the coming challenges head on. But he, Wind Chill, also knew this is where everything would collide. Something would go wrong. This was a fact. But what, where, when, and by who were questions he could not give an answer to.

But he also knew it would serve little purpose to worry about the things he couldn't change, much to his frustration.

Whatever blow would come, it would undoubtedly cause some form of damage. He just hoped it wouldn't cause the Great One to vanish once more. Or worse, push the changelinks over the edge they had just narrowly managed to avoid.

With a heavy sigh, he stopped on one of the many bridges, taking a moment to take in the city's splendor.

"There is much at stake," he said to no one. "Far too much."

"You can say that again."

Startled, Wind Chill turned around, seeing Danny hover behind him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to jump you like that," Danny apologized.

"Do not worry, Great One. No harm was done."

"So what have you worried so much?"

"Just worrying about things to come."

Nodding, Danny looked at the sight before him as well.

"There really is far too much at stake here, and even more to lose. We can't afford too many mistakes, or they will end up paying the price."

"Indeed," Wind Chill agreed.

Sighing, Danny scratched his head, messing up his hair. "Look, there's something you should know about. Just learned it from my double, and already told Chrysalis when I gave her her meds."

"Is anything wrong?"

"No," Danny shook his head. "The opposite, actually," and he explained what happened between Fenris and the timberwolves' Alpha the night before.

"The timberwolves are under your command!? I find this hard to believe, yet I do not doubt your word," said Wind Chill, amazed.

"Yeah, not sure how I feel about that, to be honest. The idea of being any kind of leader like that… Don't know. It just feels wrong, somehow," Danny admitted. "I mean, I know next to nothing about them. But they had their own rules and customs, no matter how good or bad they were. Then, just like that, Fenris takes over. And to an extent, me as well. And now I have this pack of undead wolves at my command, searching the forest for any materials useful to Zecora. Does that make me a bad leader, making them do all that even though I didn't win that fight, or know anything about them other than what I've seen?"

"Far from it," Wind Chill shook his head in clear disagreement. "You steered those lost souls back onto a path where they can help others, which, from what you just told me, they accepted readily. Maybe they wanted, perhaps even needed for someone who doesn't know them to take over. To lead them without the full knowledge of their past mistakes and sins; to give them a second chance and make amends."

"Second chance, huh?" Danny chuckled. "Seems fitting."

"How so?"

"Dua ŝanco," said Danny.

"That is Fenris' language, isn't it? What does it mean?"

"It means Second Chance," Danny explained. "It's my pack's new name."

Wind Chill smiled. "A name worthy of a pack led by one such as yourself. And, perhaps, even the answer to your question."

"Maybe, yeah," Danny looked into the distance. "Maybe." He sighed. "Anyhow, I need to go and get the ingredients the timberwolves have collected."

"I understand Great One. Good luck."

"Thanks. You too," and as Danny left, Wind Chill watched him leave until he disappeared in the tunnel leading out of the city.

"You do always give second chances to those you feel deserve them, and your judgment hasn't been wrong about that yet," he said with great respect. "Whatever challenges may arise, we shall overcome them together. All of us, thanks for the second chance you have given. Of this I am sure."

<<>><<>><<>>

"Nothing of this makes any sense."

Sweetie Belle looked up from her book, seeing a thoroughly confused changelink staring at a book of her own; a deep frown and scrunched muzzle seemingly frozen on her face as she continued to stare at the source of her mental frustration.

"What doesn't?" Asked Sweetie Belle.

"This. All of this," Abella pointed at the book.

Sweetie Belle looked at the book, read its title, and then stared in confusion at Abella.

"That's a cookbook."

"I know it is," said Abella. "And it doesn't make any sense at all. Why put so much effort in preparing this stuff when it all turns to cr-"

"Why are you reading a cookbook? Where did you even get it?" Sweetie Belle cut in.

"It's from Devora."

"That answers nothing."

Abella looked away from the book. "Devora snatched this shortly before we met you and your friends. Said it was interesting. And seeing how we were going to read anyhow, I thought I'd see what she was talking about. But this," she tapped the book, "makes no sense at all. Why would you put in so much effort on something that you're gonna chew into mush and then po-"

"Because it tastes good," Sweetie Belle cut her off again. "And some ponies really like doing it."

"Well, I still don't get it," she looked at the recipe detailing the proper presentation.

"Weren't we supposed to learn more about my powers?"

"We were, and you are. Doesn't mean I can't use my time to find new ways to tease my friends."

"And what's so wrong about Devora reading a cookbook?"

"We're changeling- eh- ks. We don't eat pony food. We don't have any need for it. So why bother?"

"Well, she likes it. Isn't that enough?"

"Oh, it is. Never said it wasn't. Doesn't stop me from using it against her," Abella grinned, showing teeth. "Besides, not like it is completely useless. This knowledge is really valuable if we're replacing somepony who cooks for a living, but that's not why Devora took it."

"Then why? Because she wants to cook?" Sweetie Belle half asked with some measure of disapproval.

"Well, yes," Abella answered, taken aback by the level glare she got.

"And why would you make fun of that? I think it is great she wants to do something like that."

"It's because she can't stand pony food."

"Wait… what?"

"Exactly," Abella chuckled. "And from what I've managed to pick up, she really enjoys your sister's cooking."

"... huh," Sweetie Belle stared at nothing. "That does make it a bit weird, I guess."

"That's what we told her, too."

"Weird like us ponies, I suppose."

"Ye- wait, what?!" Abella's train of thought derailed, and she stared at a smugly grinning Sweetie Belle.

"Maybe we're not so different after all, hmm?"

"Oh no. No no no. Not going there. I'm nothing like you ponies."

"You? I thought we were talking about Devora?"

"We are," Abella agreed a bit too quickly.

"Really?" Sweetie Belle cocked an eyebrow, trying, and partially succeeding in keeping her smirk hidden.

"Yes!"

"Hmm, I'm not so sure." Sweetie Belle grinned devilishly. "After all, you don't need to read that cookbook just to make fun of your friend. Sounds to me like a convenient excuse to shift the focus from you to another."

"WHAT!? No," Abella disagreed, shaking her head.

Sweetie Belle leaned in a bit closer. "You like to cook, don't ya?"

"LIES!" Abella shouted, jumping up.

"Well, one of us is lying," said Sweetie Belle, her tongue flicking past her lips, "and it certainly doesn't taste like me."

Abella looked at the ivory unicorn with a mix of horror and respect.

"You can't do that!" She said, pointing a slightly trembling hoof at Sweetie Belle.

"Do what?" Sweetie Belle asked innocently.

"Use our abilities against us."

"However do you mean?" She replied.

"Tasting my emotions to tell I'm lying!" Abella replied accusatively.

"Oh, so you admit you were lying then?"

"I, what? Yes. Wait, no. I mean no," Abella backpaddled nervously, scooting away a bit from the devilishly grinning pony, and pushed herself past the point of no return.

With a startled gasp, she fell off the bed, dragging a pillow with her which fell on her head.

"Chitin rust," came her muffled swear, and Sweetie Belle lost it; rolling on the bed, clutching her sides while laughing.

Abella slowly pushed her head up to leer at the mirthful pony, only for the pillow, snagged on her horn, to sag in front of her face.

"This is not funny!" She exclaimed, and Sweetie Belle bit her hoof to stifle her laughter.

Zzrriiiiiippp

Both pony and changelink looked at the pillow, the latter cross-eyed, as the fabric gave way around Abella's sharp horn; leaving just enough time for dread to set in before Abella's world became consumed by feather and fluff.

Silence

"Snrrt."

"Not. A. Sound!"

"Mmpfhhaha."

"I'm warning you!"

"Phfhahahahahahahahah."

Sweetie Belle lost all control once more and laughed uproariously, legs kicking at the sight of Abella's new plumage.

"Oh, you'll have it now," Abella promised and, with a burst of her horn, the ripped pillow was flung into Sweetie Belle's face while a cloud of feathers flew through the air.

This time Abella was the one who grinned devilishly at Sweetie Belle's stunned expression. Yet it was short-lived as only a few seconds later a still intact pillow smacked her squarely in the face.

Slowly pulling the pillow down, Abella glared at the infuriatingly grinning pony.

"Oh, it is on!" And she leaped at her target, pillow primed and ready.

<<>><<>><<>>

With a familiar cheer, Danny was greeted by the frost giants as he arrived in their village. A crowd quickly gathered as all wanted to greet the Great One properly.

"Hey everyone. It's nice seeing all of you again," he replied, smiling.

"Great One, how wonderful to have you with us once more," Frostbite was quick to move through the masses, smiling warmly at his friend.

Danny chuckled, turning to the village leader. "It couldn't have been that long since the last time. My double was here not too long ago, right?"

"Be that as it may, but you haven't," Frostbite pointed out.

"Can't argue with that," Danny laughed. "Anyhow, is the Elder around? There's something I need to ask her. It's about Sweetie Belle's powers."

"Is anything wrong with the young spirit?" Frostbite asked, all humor gone.

"No, nothing wrong. Just some questions," Danny replied, shaking his head. "Her powers continue to develop, and there are some things that we're having trouble figuring out."

Frostbite relaxed his stance. "Good. For a moment I worried young Sweetie Belle might be in trouble again."

"Not this time, fortunately."

Frostbite nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. As for the Elder. She is currently unavailable, though it shouldn't be long for her to return. You are welcome to join us while waiting for her."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer," said Danny.

"Wonderful," Frostbite replied elated, and an agreeing murmur came from all the other giants.

"So how are things going here?" Danny asked as he and Frostbite walked away, several other giants following close behind.

"Quite well, Great One. We have secured the books you, well, your double have brought here for safekeeping."

"We are truly grateful for the trust you have placed in us with such a task," one of the giants added.

"Glad to hear it," Danny replied, smiling. "And what about the windigos?"

"The Saldēti Zirgi have been returned to their fields where they run free as normal," another giant answered.

"Though from time to time, it does seem like they're looking, almost searching for something," another added, and Danny slowed down a bit.

"Searching? Searching for what?"

"We don't know," the giant shook her head. "But other than that, they remain docile."

Danny frowned as he picked up the pace. "Well, let's hope it stays like that."

"Now allow me to ask, how are you doing, Danny?" Asked Frostbite as they approached his home.

"Me specifically, or all of me?"

"Just you, for now," Frostbite clarified with a knowing smile.

"All things considered, I'm doing pretty good. We finally got a hold over the majority of all the problems and challenges we're facing, giving us some breathing room. But I also worry about saying such things out loud cause, well, you know."

"That I do," Frostbite agreed, joined by the other giants still following behind.

"And I can't help but worry about everything that's still to come. There is so much that could go wrong, and far too many lives are involved," he sighed deeply, slowing down as they reached Frostbite's house. "And most of these lives all look towards me for help, answers, hell, even guidance. And I don't know how to feel about that. I honestly don't feel like I am the kind of guy who should be in charge like that. Joining up with a group to take down a ghost or two, sure. I can do that. Go around and provide some invisible assistance where needed, no problem. But this… all of this. Not to mention the timberwolves. There is so much at stake. So many who now depend on me. I'm put in a position of power I don't think I deserve, and I'm sure I'll make some mistake that will get others hurt… That is something I never want to experience ever again. Never."

The giants around him patiently waited for him to finish before voicing their disagreement.

"You are wrong, Great One," one of them said before all others. "Those you speak of wouldn't have put so much trust in you if you hadn't earned it."

"Snow Glare is right, Danny," said Frostbite. "And the fact you worry for their well-being proves as much. Even if you don't wish to be in a position of power, you still accept the responsibility that comes with it in order to help those in need. And they all see it, or they wouldn't so willingly listen to you. And while it is true that a mistake could spell disaster, it is also true that it is almost impossible to avoid making a mistake. Yet this doesn't stop you. Instead, you keep going with the courage to face those problems, all for the sake of others " He placed a finger on Danny's shoulder, as his full hand was far too large. "That is the true hallmark of a leader, even if you don't yet see it that way."

Danny sighed, then chuckled.

"Guess it isn't too different from the last talk we had," he replied, smiling up at Frostbite. "Sorry for needing to remind me again."

"Not at all, Danny. We are here to help you, just as you help others. After all, that is what friends do."

The other giants readily agreed.

"And if you ever doubt yourself again, we'll just remind you again," Frostbite added. "Now, how about we grab something to drink and you can fill me in on everything that has happened since last we met."

Smiling, Danny nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

<<>><<>><<>>

Deep underneath the ice mountain, in the sanctum of Tree of Life, the Elder diligently tended to her friend while inspecting the growing seeds.

Naturally, her attention was drawn to the largest of the bunch, two fully grown seeds glowing with a soft but vibrant color. And then there was a much smaller seed, with little sign of growth from its future wielder.

And further up, on a different branch, the last two seeds were hidden. One fully grown, both showing promise, with the smaller seed proving the clear change in its wielder's life.

Satisfied, the Elder stepped away.

"Most of the children have taken the first step towards growth, with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Erlea already firmly on the path of maturity. But I worry for the young one who has yet to see the path before her. Obviously, these things can not be rushed, but I fear growth may come too late if something doesn't change soon," she sighed, placing a hand on Tree of Life's trunk.

"You always saw things more clearly than I do. Or perhaps I should say you have the confidence in believing everything will work out for the better," she closed her eyes, sighing. "Whichever it is, dear friend, I could use some of the confidence you always show because, no matter how much I am able to see, some things do evade my sight. And it is these things that are often the most damning."

A faint flitter pressed down on her hand, and she noticed a single glowing leaf lying between her fingers.

For a moment the Elder was silent, then a bemused chuckle came from her.

"I suppose that, at times, it is indeed that simple." She took the leaf, holding it close. "Thank you, my friend."

The leaves of Tree of Life rustled.

"And now, it seems, my attention is required elsewhere," said the Elder as she stepped away. "Goodbye, Tree of Life. Until we meet again."

<<>><<>><<>>

Disaster had struck. There was no denying this. Despite careful planning and having the home-field advantage, Abella still found herself pinned down, held in place by the restrictive hold of a blanket tangled up with her legs. And worse still, her captor stood looming above her, bringing down her unforgiving judgment one fluff-filled strike at a time.

"Sto- gha- stop!" She gasped out.

"Hmm, I don't know," said Sweetie Belle as she brought down the pillow once more. "Do you give up?"

"Neve-" POMF.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I will make you pa-" POMF.

"Cease your actions, pon-" POMF.

"..." POMF.

"I DIDN'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING!"

"It was preemptive," said Sweetie Belle. "Also," POMF.

"Why are you like this?" Abella groused, muzzle poking out from underneath the pillow.

"Like what?" Sweetie Belle asked, amused.

"I'm serious," Abella replied with half a groan. "You weren't this… excitable before. The opposite, actually."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," said Abella, using a small amount of magic to pull away the pillow and free her legs. "You're far too happy compared to how you were earlier. It's weird, and not in the 'ponies are weird' kind of weird."

"Well, I don't feel any different," Sweetie Belle countered.

"Which, considering what you are, means very little," Abella pointed out, then used the opportunity to launch the pillow, striking Sweetie Belle in the face.

"HEY!" She cried out as the fluffy object fell to the floor.

Abella grinned smugly.

Her victory only lasted for a second as, with a blinding flash of gold, Sweetie Belle pounced.

<<>><<>><<>>

With a steaming mug of hot cocoa before them, Frostbite and Danny discussed the various events that had happened, as well as the ever-looming threat of Vlad's spy drones and what they might find when a knock on the door interrupted them.

"One moment, Danny," Frostbite excused himself as he went to answer the door.

"Hello, Frostbite. I believe my presence is required here."

"Elder," Frostbite said, stepping aside. "Please come in."

"Thank you," she said as she entered.

"Elder," Danny gave a nod in greeting. "I'm glad to see you."

"The feeling is mutual," she replied as she approached Danny. "It is to my understanding you were looking for me."

"Yes," Danny confirmed. "There may be something up with Sweetie Belle's powers, or not. We're not entirely sure, so I thought I'd ask you."

"I would be delighted to offer any insight I can provide," she said as she sat down on a free seat. "So, please. Tell me what is wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong as far as I can tell, but I have been wrong before," he shook those thoughts away. "She has been practicing a lot lately with this emotion eating aspect of her powers, but she seems to burn through the energy she gains from it rather fast. At least compared to a changelink, which isn't really the best comparison considering the vast differences. Yet at the same time they are remarkably similar in certain ways," he sighed. "Either way, we don't know if this is normal or not. For all we know it is just the result of her using her powers that much, but seeing how most of that is her taking in all that energy seems to counter that idea."

Silently, Frostbite placed a fresh mug of hot cocoa for the Elder, who thanked him in turn.

"It certainly sounds like young Sweetie Belle has been busy discovering her powers," she began, taking a small sip of her drink.

"She has, yes."

The Elder thought for a moment.

"You are right in your assumption this new development is the result of her using her powers, but not in the way you may think."

"How do you mean?" Asked Danny.

"Tell me, Danny. After you got your powers and started to learn how to use them, what happened over time?"

"What didn't happen?" He remarked, remembering the absolute rollercoaster of events that his life became after becoming a half-ghost. "But to answer the question. I got stronger. My powers got stronger. I even developed new pow-" he fell silent. "Sweetie Belle's powers are developing, which is why she's using so much energy."

"Indeed," the Elder drank from her mug. "And she has the added benefit of having the help of not just you, but the changelinks as well, which served to accelerate her development."

"So this is a good thing, then. Not something to worry about… well, not more than normal as far as these powers of ours are concerned."

"... Not quite," the Elder said after a moment's pause.

The relief Danny felt quickly washed away as he picked up on the shift in tone, and he grabbed his mug and took a long drag.

"Okay, let's hear the bad news."

"Tell me, Danny. How much do you know about sirens?"

"About as much as I was told by you guys, and a bit from those books I took from the library. Why?"

"There are things about sirens that aren't widespread knowledge. Not due to secrecy, but because of how rare these instances are."

"And Sweetie Belle being a halfa, and the first pony halfa at that, is about as rare as it gets," Danny added. "Not to mention the involvement of this Necronomicon in her becoming one, and Discord even telling me to be wary of him…" he sighed, head shaking. "Please just tell me what we're dealing with here "

"Very well," the Elder finished her drink. "Sirens in general are creatures drawn to negative emotions, for obvious reasons. However, in the event that there are no negative emotions to draw strength from, they will cause them to happen themselves."

"You mean like Sweetie Belle's feral state?"

"No," she shook her head. "Sweetie Belle's feral state was caused due to her not feeding, pushing her spirit side to starvation and drawing out that side of hers to ensure its survival without thought or care. But a healthy siren, normally, would use their powers to spread discontent and chaos in a controlled, thought-out way to maximize the negative emotions over a long period of time. Energy they would then use to enhance and increase their influence." She paused for a moment.

"Naturally, those who do such things often find enjoyment out of the suffering of others."

"But Sweetie Belle isn't like that," Danny argued back.

"No, she is not," the Elder agreed. "Which is what makes it so rare among sirens."

"... And this 'unnatural' behavior has some unintended side effects, doesn't it?"

"In a way, yes."

Danny groaned, hand covering his face.

"But not necessarily in a bad way."

He stared at the elder through his fingers.

"Is it too much to ask for a straight answer?"

"Like I said, sirens use the energy they gain to further spread their influence. This is a fact that applies to all sirens. However, due to Sweetie Belle's natural kindness, it is highly likely she will use the negative energy she gains and turn it into something more positive."

Danny was silent for a moment.

"You mean she is instead spreading joy and laughter?"

"Unintentionally, but yes."

"The young spirit's powers certainly are full of surprises," said Frostbite, just as surprised as Danny.

"Eclipse," Danny called out to his shade, and his shadow turned to look at him. "Inform my double back at the Hive. I'm starting to think what happened with Cujo may be a result of this. And who knows what might happen if this goes unchecked."

"Before you do so, do allow me to offer some additional advice," the Elder said, and both Danny and Eclipse looked at her. "In a way, this power of hers can be compared to our ice powers. The more she stores up, the more difficult it will be to contain, and the more it will leak out. She will need to find a proper outlet for the excess energy, much like how you have to release the build up of ice from time to time."

Danny was silent for a moment, almost amazed his original analogy was actually correct. But then another thought came to him.

"Hold on, if she does that doesn't that mean she will grow hungry again?"

"You are correct, and therein lies part of the danger of a siren. They need this energy to survive, but the same energy must be spent to do so. As a result, they exist in a state of perpetual hunger, hence why they seek to increase their influence as much as possible."

"Only part of it?" Danny said, worried. "And the other part."

"To assume their control over others, they must take away their ability of free thought; to bend their thinking in ways that benefit the sirens, and only the sirens."

"You're talking about mind control," Danny said, shocked.

"I am afraid so."

"Is there anything else I should know about?" Danny asked, tensely. "Something that should have been said far earlier?"

"I understand your frustration, Danny. I truly do," the Elder said apologetically. "But just as you keep the full extent of intangibility's dangers to yourself, so too do I with these matters. Not because I find enjoyment out of it, but to steer you, all of you, to the proper outcome. To learn without fear of what could be looming over you. Had Sweetie Belle known about the full extent her powers can affect others, she would no doubt have desperately tried to contain it within. It takes little imagination to see what would happen if she did that. No," she shook her head. "She must learn to control all aspects of her powers and do so willingly. Not through force or fear."

Danny clenched a fist, clearly not happy with this.

"Tell me, with an actual answer, how will this influence affect the changelinks, or me when exposed to it?"

"That is difficult to say, but the siren's personality strongly influences the effect. So at least I believe no true harm will come to any of you. However, as I said. Sirens increase their influence to gain more negative emotions to feed on. But with Sweetie Belle this is the opposite, and as such she won't be able to gain any new energy. Meaning, if left unchecked, she will reach a point of starvation again."

"Which will trigger a new feral state," Danny finished.

"Yes."

"Eclipse. Now!"

"I'm on it," Eclipse confirmed, and she hurriedly left to relay the information.

Eyes closed, Danny held a deep breath, then released it slowly.

"Sweetie Belle's powers are proving far more dangerous than even I had thought," he said eventually."

"They most certainly are," the Elder agreed.

"Elder, I must ask," Frostbite spoke up. "Is there anything else that is important to know? All intentions you stated aside, the Great One needs to know what to expect sooner, rather than later. His efforts to aid young Sweetie Belle will only be hindered by not knowing."

The Elder was silent for a moment.

"You must understand that there are things even I don't know," she started. "My gift; my curse allows me to see more than most. But just because I can see, doesn't mean I understand the full meaning of what I saw. It's only through the experience I gained from the many, many years of wandering the plains of mortality, and later the afterlife that I am able to discern some of the meaning of what I see. But it is also this experience that tells me when it is pertinent to reveal the more decisive details to others. And this is mostly due to the fact I don't know what the ramifications are of what I saw, and sharing my knowledge prematurely could be far more damaging as others will act on half facts or faulty interpretations." She shook her head, sighing. "Are there things I could reveal to you? Yes. But oftentimes it is far less damaging to let events transpire naturally, and only to step in when it is abundantly clear intervention is required."

"A lot of words for saying you're keeping secrets," Danny replied irritably.

"Out of necessity," the Elder stated.

Danny slammed a fist on the table, rattling his mug.

"Necessity my ass. Half of the problems I had to deal with were because I didn't know what was going on. How much trouble; how much suffering could have been avoided had you told me, us, anyone about what you know?!"

Frostbite sucked in a breath over Danny's outburst, while the Elder looked at her mug, clearly unhappy.

"Well?!"

The Elder sighed, looking at the angry half-ghost. "I have held the title of Elder for a long, long time now. Yet it rarely happens where one calls me out, and who is right in doing so," she closed her eyes, shaking her head. "There is much that I have seen. Far too much. But right now, I am unable to see the answer that would satisfy you… Yes, had I shared some of my knowledge, the outcome of events could, and would have changed. But so too would the ensuing consequences as a result of these changes."

"Action, reaction, consequences," Danny grumbled. "Yes, Discord and I have had that talk. Against my will, I should add."

"Yes… That doesn't surprise me. Discord has always been an unpredictable entity."

Danny leaped up.

"You know him?!" He said, almost accusatory.

"In a way, yes," she confirmed. "Though my interactions with him were limited at best. Most of what I do know about him is from what I was told by… others closer to him."

Danny slowly sat down again.

"You will tell me everything you know about him, without vague hints or riddles, or omitting certain facts. Everything!"

"Very well, Danny. I will share what I know.

<<>><<>><<>>

"Damn, damn, damn, damn!" Danny repeated over and over again as he flew through the hallways.

Only moments ago Eclipse had told him what his double had learned, and the ticking time bomb that Sweetie Belle's powers really were.

Without any warning, he sped off, leaving a confused Zecora behind while he rushed back to Sweetie Belle, hoping there would still be time to find a way for her to safely release the excess energy before others would be caught in whatever it was that would happen when the metaphorical dam burst.

Yet the closer he got to her guestroom, the more and more worrying signs started to show, starting with small groups of foals moving the same direction he was, all strangely energetic; almost playful in their behavior. Which on its own wasn't a bad thing. In fact, he would've been glad to see the foals acting as foals in any other circumstance. But the closer he got, the less coherent they all seemed to get. And worse, he could feel his thoughts starting to slip and, on more than one occasion, he had to slap himself in the face to keep on task.

He already heard the disaster before he rounded the last corner, and when he finally came to face the spectral mishap it took him a good minute to process what he was seeing. This was in part from the fog that seemed to try and work his way into his mind.

Thankfully both Fenris and Eclipse helped to keep him from succumbing entirely.

Foals were everywhere. Laughing, shouting, running, literally climbing the walls and ceiling, and pillows. Lots and lots of pillows were swung, launched, and thrown in every direction.

For a moment Danny wondered where they had managed to acquire so many of them, and where he could get his own, but that thought was quickly stomped down by Fenris.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he scanned the joyful chaos before him, having difficulty finding his target in the mass of hyperactive changelink foals, flying pillows, and clouds of feathers. Then a flash of gold drew his attention, and he felt a new layer of fog creep into his mind.

"Damn it. How did things get out of hand this fast?" He grunted, holding his head as if he had a bad headache. "Ah hell. Eclipse, restrict their movement!"

Without a word, Eclipse detached herself from him and disappeared within the mass of foals.

A moment later, darkness began to consume the room, slowing down, but not completely stopping the activities. Then Eclipse struck, and all foals found themselves bound by tendrils of darkness.

"Hey, what's going on?!"

Sighing deeply, Danny stepped into the room, all eyes on him while he approached the one who spoke; the source of this latest headache.

"Danny, what happened? Why are we all caught in… is this Eclipse?" Sweetie Belle looked around and then spotted a familiar pair of glowing eyes on the wall.

"Sweetie Belle," he began cautiously, "do you have any idea what's going on right now?"

"What do you mean? We're just having some fun."

"Fun," a chorus of overlapping voices mimicked.

Looking at some of them, Danny noticed a barely perceptible golden glint in the changelinks' eyes.

"Right… and do you know why everyone decided to join in on the fun just now?"

Sweetie Belle blinked, confused.

"Well, it was just between Abella and me, but others joined us, then more. Why?"

Danny sighed deeply, massaging his forehead.

"Where's Abella?" He asked.

"She is here, master," Eclipse singled out the surprisingly docile filly as Danny approached.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine," she said with a wide grin. "We're having fun!"

"""Fun!"""

"... Okay, that's a bit weird," said Sweetie Belle.

"You don't know the half of it," said Danny as he saw the clearly wet stains of fresh blood in Abella's bandages.

A band of light split him in half, and a moment later three of him stood before the injured filly.

"I'm going to find Erlea. Hopefully, she's not affected," one of them said and flew off rapidly.

"I'll get Zecora," the other left as well.

"Danny," said Sweetie Belle, panic starting to creep into her voice. "What is wrong?"

Wanting to sigh tiredly, but keeping it contained, Danny turned back to the now clearly frightened filly, keeping his composure for her sake.

"My double had a talk with the Elder," he began. "And it seems your powers have a bit more of a… drawback than I knew."

"What do you mean?" She asked, voice cracking.

Danny stepped closer while Eclipse carefully released her hold over Sweetie Belle.

Kneeling down to be more on eye level, he took a moment to find the right words.

"It seems that part of being a siren means spreading your influence in order to gain more negative energy. Except, in your case, you draw out positive energy instead. This wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for two reasons. First off, doing this means you're burning through the energy you have without replenishing it, pushing you closer to another feral state," Sweetie Belle gasped, horrified. "And second… all of this is done through mind control."

Sweetie Belle locked up, pupils shrunken to pinpricks, and seemingly no longer breathing from the shock.

This time Danny couldn't contain his sigh, shaking his head as he looked at the unresponsive filly, a hand on her back.

"I'm sorry," he said as he heard rapidly approaching hooves galloping on the stone floor. "I truly am."

<<>><<>><<>>

With a deep frown, Danny had left the Far Frozen to collect the materials gathered by the timberwolves.

Moving on autopilot, he flew through the forest while debating everything the Elder had told him.

'So, being the lord of chaos is merely a self-appointed title to distract from his true nature,' he said in thought.

'But a distraction to who? The world at large, or just himself?' Fenris replied.

'Probably himself, but denying it as well, Eclipse surmised.

'But a distraction all the same,' said Danny. '... A natural Embodiment. Have you ever heard of something like that?' he asked Fenris.

'I have not. Nor anything that might hint at it.

'Can't say I'm surprised. There is so much we don't know. Yet with each new thing we do learn, we also end up with far more concerning questions.'

'Who, or what are these natural embodiments? How many of them are there? What is their goal? And what does this mean for us?'

'You are missing the far more important detail in all of this.'

'Which is?'

'The fact the Elder spoke of natural embodiments also means there must be something akin to artificial embodiments.'

Danny slowed down, coming to a stop near a small pond.

"Hold on, what do you mean?" He said aloud.

'Isn't it obvious?' Fenris snorted. 'Perhaps not, or you would have asked the moment the Elder told you about this.'

"Please just explain what you mean," Danny grunted.

'Discord is a natural embodiment. A creature of great power. It stands to reason that these other natural embodiments are the same, or similar in power. Perhaps this Necronomicon is a natural embodiment as well. Yet from all of this, we can surmise one thing. Those labeled as a natural embodiment are one of great might. Might not too dissimilar to what your enemy wields.'

Danny's eyes widened as he understood what Fenris was saying.

"You mean Celestia is an artificial embodiment."

'It does make sense. She represents the sun and has the power to move it. Similar to Luna with the moon. And both have magic that far exceeds anything the rest of the ponies can accomplish. And as we know, this is because-'

"Because they're half ghost," Danny finished. "And we know they were made as such, thanks to Astina."

'And we know this Necronomicon had a hand in the transformation of Sweetie Belle. So what does that mean for her?'

"And if what Astina said is true, my accident was no accident... Perhaps it's the same with Vlad?"

'Which should also mean Dani could be counted in the same category. Perhaps even more so than either of you.'

"But then again, do any of us possess great power? Comparative to other ghosts, I mean. Cause despite what I can do, I don't think I'm able to move a sun or moon. And I doubt Dani can either, seeing she's a clone of me. And if Vlad was able to do so, he would have done so already."

'Yet I was able to perform such a feat, alongside my brothers. And neither of us were half ghosts during my days alive. What does that mean. Are we natural embodiments, or just creatures of power unrelated to larger events?'

Danny stared at his reflection, finding no answers there.

"Just more questions without answers. That's what it means," he sighed out. "And standing here won't help us find them either. We have more important things to take care of, so let's not waste any more time. We can try to figure this out once there aren't so many lives at stake."

Both Fenris and Eclipse agreed, and Danny resumed his flight.

<<>><<>><<>>

"What the hay happened here?!" Erlea asked, voice raised slightly as she looked at the many changelinks around her. "Why are their voices silenced?"

"This most certainly does not seem right," Zecora studied one of the foals up close. "Do you know what caused this newest fright?"

Danny sighed, looking at the mass of unmoving foals, then at the quivering mass that Sweetie Belle had devolved into as she lay partially hidden under the bed.

"It would seem that Sweetie Belle's powers are more dangerous than any of us suspected," he explained. "And she has unintentionally put all of them under a form of mind control."

"SHE WHAT?!" Erlea shouted, causing the bed to jostle as Sweetie Belle jumped.

Holding up a hand, Danny waited for her to calm down, then explained what the Elder had told him.

"So she uses the energy she eats to change the behavior of others through mind control in order to gain more energy. Except the energy that is created is positive, instead of negative. Meaning she can't eat it, and thus drains herself to the point where another feral state could happen," Erlea summed up after Danny finished, trying and failing to rub away a headache.

"Yes, though she was unaware she did this," Danny pointed out. "Had she known, she wouldn't have let this happen. Seeing how this power is as much controlled by conscious and subconscious thought."

"That may be so," Erlea groaned. "But we still have dozens of changelinks under her thrall, and no idea how close she is to starvation either."

A strangled squeak came from under the bed.

"This is certainly an unexpected blow. But we can help her now that we know," said Zecora as she approached the bed, lowering herself to look down. "Your kindness is a reflection of your soul, don't blame yourself for things out of your control."

"But I hurt them… again!" Sweetie Belle cried. "Abella's wound is bleeding again because of what I did. And all of them are like… that because of me."

"True," said Danny as he lowered himself as well. "But like Zecora said, you had no idea you did this. And despite what happened, it happened because you wanted them to feel better; to have some fun."

"""Fun,""" the changelinks droned as one.

"... Yeah," Danny was silent for a moment. "Any idea how to break this mind control?" He asked Erlea.

"How should I know?" She replied exasperated. Then a deep sigh followed as she sat down, rubbing a temple. "I don't know. If this is in any way similar to how we changelings, eh, links use mind control, then maybe."

"Well her hunger has shown enough similarities to work along the same principle, so who knows. It's worth a shot."

"Might as well," Erlea sighed, head shaking.

Approaching Abella, she slowly circled around her mind-controlled friend. Then, stopping before her, she looked into her friend's eyes for any sign of recognition.

"Well, here goes," she said when her friend remained silent.

Grabbing Abella on both sides, Erlea proceeded to vigorously shake her while shouting: "WAKE UP YOU LAZY BUG!"

"Euhh…?" Danny uttered, confused and surprised. A sentiment that was shared by Zecora and, peeking out from under the bed, Sweetie Belle.

"WHUAGHHUHH," Abella uttered unintelligently as her head swung back and forth.

"I SAID WAKE UP!" Erlea proceeded to shake her friend even harder.

"Whuhuaaatsss goinn onnn?!" Abella slurred, head swinging back and forth as she blinked owlishly; her slow-to-process mind trying its hardest to figure out what was happening.

Erlea slowed, but not stopped her shaking. "Get to your senses already," she said demandingly.

"Did… that can't be how it is actually done, right?" Asked Danny, flummoxed.

"It works, doesn't it?" Erlea replied shortly. "Now are you here again, or do I need to shake you some more?"

"Bite me," Abella hissed painfully.

"If that is what it takes."

With a magical shove, Abella forced Erlea away from her. Clutching her wound as she fell forward, she caught herself with her free hoof, breathing heavily.

"Okay… can anylink please tell me what the buck is going on?!"

"You were mind-controlled," said Erlea.

"I was, WHAT?!"

"So are all of them," Erlea pointed out.

Blinking, Abella looked around, seeing the enthralled changelinks around her.

"What the actual buck happened?"

"Sweetie Belle did."

A squeak came from under the bed.

"What?"

"Perhaps we should break the others out of their state so we don't have to explain everything dozens of times?" Danny suggested, though with clear unease showing on his face. "Though I can't say I'm a fan of the whole shaking thing."

"Yes… one moment," said Erlea as she moved to one of the enthralled foals, horn glowing.

A sudden, almost blinding flash came from her horn, forcing Danny, Zecora, and Sweetie Belle to shield their eyes.

"Wh- wha happen?" A young, disorientated voice spoke up, and as Danny lowered his arm he noticed several of the foals nearest to Erlea shake their heads and stumble on the spot.

"We're in luck," said Erlea. "Her control is quite weak."

"Wait, if you can do that, then why-"

"It's what she got from allowing herself to be controlled so easily," Erlea answered before Danny could finish.

"I hate you," Abella glowered at her so-called friend.

"Not that I am keeping count, but that would be the third time she managed to best you."

Abella glared at Erlea but didn't comment on the fact.

"What did I do? What did all of us do?" She asked instead.

"You were all involved in a massive pillow fight," Danny answered as Erlea began dispelling more of the foals. "And you were rather actively involved. It opened up your wound, which is why you are in pain like that."

"Fantastic," Abella groaned.

"I'm sorry," Sweetie Belle's timid voice came from under the bed.

"Oh, so we're back to doing this again," said Abella, looking at the poorly concealed pony. "Apologizing endlessly while feeling sorry for yourself?" She grimaced and noticed some small stains of blood on her hoof, and then the wet splotches coming through her bandages. "Just great," she sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm so-"

"Don't," Abella stopped her. "We all knew there were plenty of things we didn't know about your powers. It's why we spent so much time trying to figure them out. And from what Danny just said, I doubt you made me do this because you wanted to."

Sweetie Belle carefully poked her head out from under the bed, eyes red with tears.

"Well, I was surprised you were as active as you were, but you seemed to have fun so I didn't want to stop you. But…" she looked around, seeing the many changelinks, most still under her control, "why are there so many? I didn't leave the room to get them, they came to us."

Danny sighed. "You did walk through the city on your way to the classroom, spreading your influence as you went. It's most likely also what caused Cujo to do what he did, seeing how he was with you all night."

"If that's true, then why weren't you influenced?" Asked Erlea.

"Perhaps I was," Danny replied. "I do recall feeling amused when I told you and your mom about what happened with the timberwolves, and your reaction to that, despite my feelings about being a leader. And I most certainly felt the effects when I came back here. Luckily Fenris and Eclipse were able to keep me on track… which does make me wonder how they were not influenced."

'My mind is not that weak, Phantom.'

'Perhaps it is because I exist spread out between all of you?'

"Well, I guess that answers that," said Danny, to the confusion of all present, and aware.

"What answers what?" Asked Abella.

"Right, sorry. Just Eclipse and Fenris talking to me."

"Can we focus on the more pressing matter right now?" Erlea called out. "Cause I only have so much magic I can spend, and there are still a lot of changelinks whose minds are clouded."

"Yeah yeah, give me a moment," said Abella, then winced in pain as she stepped closer to one of the controlled foals.

"I'm not sure you should move," Danny told her.

"Well, not like there are many others who can undo this unless Sweetie Belle can break her hold over them."

"I don't know how," she was quick to point out, sounding guilty and apologetic.

"And why aren't you trying?" Erlea aimed at Danny. "Don't you have all of our knowledge in that head of yours?"

Danny stood silent, blinked, and then facepalmed hard. "Yes. Yes, I do. How did I even manage to forget?"

"Perhaps your thoughts were occluded more than you thought. You did mention your mind might have been caught," Zecora suggested.

"True," Danny groaned, "but somehow that feels like taking the easy way out." He shook his head. "Let's just ignore that for now and focus on the problem at hand."

Stepping towards several of the foals, he knelt down while holding up a glowing hand.

"Alright, let's see if this works," he muttered as he recalled all he was taught in the Murgröna.

The glow around his hand intensified while a grunt of effort escaped him. Then the spectral aura surrounding his hand flashed intensely, knocking Danny down.

"GHAA," Danny yelled as he grabbed his smoking hand by the wrist, writhing on the ground.

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Erlea shouted.

"DANNY!" Sweetie Belle yelled while she and Zecora rushed to his aid.

"I'm, gha, I'm fine," he groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Looking at the damage while it was already healing. "Glad I was in my ghost form while I tried this," he grunted, flexing his newly mended fingers. "Wouldn't have been able to grow those back otherwise."

"I repeat, WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?" Erlea demanded to know.

"Just me finding out the hard way that I can not use that particular brand of magic in any shape or form," Danny replied, frustrated. "How's he doing?" he asked, looking at the young colt he tried to free."

"Why does my head hurt?"

"Ah shit," Danny scrambled into motion to help the unfortunate child as he lay crumpled on the floor, holding his head in both hooves.

"Hold on kid, we'll get you some help," he said, looking at Zecora for assistance.

Acting without pause, Zecora grabbed a small vial from the bag she brought and gave it to Danny, who popped the cap and helped the colt drink the liquid.

"Alright, here you go. Drink this. It'll help you feel better," he said, then shook his head with a deep sigh. "Not going to try that again. Sorry Erlea, but I'm useless in this situation. Can you and Abella free their minds on your own?"

"No need. There are still others who weren't enthralled by Sweetie Belle, they're on their way now to help."

"Okay, that's good," said Danny, slowly helping the colt up. "And can you do me a favor?" He asked. "Next time I try to mimic some of your magic, make sure you whack me on the head."

<<>><<>><<>>

With a glide, Danny landed on the forest ground as many eyes turned to him.

The timberwolves quickly made room for him as Danny approached their cave while Vidar stepped out, then held a fist on his chest in salute.

"Alpha," he greeted. "We have scoured the forest for that which you seek. We hope our spoils are worthy of your favor."

"If it is enough to save even a single life, it will be," Danny replied, looking up at Vidar. "Show me what you have."

"Of course, Alpha," Vidar motioned Danny to enter his cave.

Stepping inside, several timberwolves stood around a mound of materials, almost half as high as Danny was tall, and the half-ghost stood frozen on the spot for almost a minute, greatly unnerving the wolves near him.

"Have we done something to offend you, Alpha," one of them asked, concerned.

"Offend me?" Said Danny, stepping closer to the massive pile before him. "For the last few days, the changelinks and I have searched high and low for anything that could be of use, but only finding the bare minimum. But this…" he grabbed a handful of the various ingredients, looking at it with large eyes. "This goes far beyond my wildest expectations," he said with barely restrained enthusiasm, which was easily noticed by the now excited timberwolves. "With this, we can really make a difference. Zecora will have all the ingredients she needs without having to worry about it running out. I can't begin to explain just how many lives will be saved because of what you, all of you have done here," he looked at the wolves around him and knew those outside could hear him. "Thank you. Truly."

Loud barks and howls rose up in cheer as, for the first time in centuries, a true sense of pride and accomplishment spread through the pack.

"Your words have brought us honor," Vidar said, bowing his head.

"No," Danny turned to him. "The honor is of your own making. I just steered your path."

Vidar's chest swelled with pride over Danny's praise.

"Then, by all means, Alpha. Please continue to steer our path. Your word is our command."

Danny was silent for a moment as he conversed with Fenris.

"Alright," he nodded. "I have a few tasks for the Dua ŝanco. First off, I need you to patrol the forest. There are ghost hunters out there, working by misguided and poorly understood facts, and we can't have them stumble onto any of our secrets. Find them, but do not attack them. Keep a close eye on them and, if needed, steer them away from the castle," he instructed as he moved back outside, seeing the full pack watching and listening.

"Whatever you do, do not kill them. They are not my enemy, even if they think I am theirs. The fight between us is something I must resolve," he said with an authoritative voice.

"Second, the pony who was with me the other day, Bon Bon shall be allowed to pass through the forest unimpeded. The same goes for anyone she may bring with her. Thirdly," he pulled something out of his spectral self, "one of my enemies has spread his corruption upon this world," he held out an open hand, showing the crushed remains of one of Vlad's spy drones.

Vidar leaned in closer, looking at the strange insect-like contraption.

"What trickery is this? Unnatural, metallic creatures?"

"This is technology from my world. Creations made not through magic or spectral power, but knowledge. And the one who made them, my enemy, he is a creature like me. Half mortal, half ghost. But where I seek to help and save others, he merely seeks to destroy and control. He uses machines like this to see and hear where he himself cannot and has spread them over this land. Just how far his reach has extended I do not know, but I do know my village has already been compromised for some time. He knows where I am, and he knows about Sweetie Belle. There are many more of these machines, some of them may even be hiding in this forest. But while they are small, they are not of nature, and as such have a distinct smell and sound. So if any of you encounter one of these machines, these drones, destroy them."

"We shall vanquish your foe's pawns, and prove worthy of your trust in us, Alpha," Vidar saluted.

"Good," Danny nodded. "I'm going to take these resources back to the Hive now. Once my tasks are completed there I shall return to hear what you have learned."

"Yes, Alpha," Vidar bowed his head.

With a flash, several Dannys walked into the cave. And with their combined effort they managed to carry the large quantity of ingredients in their spectral hold.

"Oh, and Vidar," the group of Dannys stopped as they exited the cave, looking at the large timberwolf. "Should it happen another human shows up in this forest, a half-mortal like me, tell her to be careful of those around her. The true monsters are those who hide in plain sight."

<<>><<>><<>>

With a thud, the massive pile of ingredients was dropped in front of a wide-eyed Zecora. And, with a flash, all present Dannys, save one, rejoined into one being.

"So… I brought you some more material to work with," he said, grinning just a bit as he noticed the mound of magical plants was actually a good inch taller than Zecora.

The stunned zebra slowly turned her head towards Danny.

"You truly are a creature of mystery and surprise, for once again I cannot believe my eyes."

"Yeah, I felt the same when I saw this pile," he admitted. "Those timberwolves really went above and beyond when I ordered them to look for magical ingredients."

"Such an abundance can only leave me reeling, but instead I should focus on healing. What you have brought does more than suffice, I can now produce a potion not double but thrice."

"That is what I like to hear," Danny said, elated. "This will free up a lot of our time that we can now use for other tasks."

Zecora nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I'll leave you two to it then," he said to Zecora and his remaining double. "And I will inform Chrysalis about the good news."

"You do that," his double replied as the other left the room. "That just leaves one last thing to do," he added with a deep sigh as he looked at the large pile of ingredients. "Sorting out this mess." Both he and Zecora stared at the mixed mess before them. "Next time, I should tell them to keep them apart."

Once more, Zecora nodded in agreement.

Author's Note

What's this? A new chapter, after so long? What dark magic is this?

But yes, once again, I'm back with some more horse words. And if you're reading this, I take it you must've liked my work enough to read all the way down here. Or you just scrolled down to see what excuse I have for taking so long.

[Insert generic excuse here]

So there you have it.

Anyhow, please share your thoughts and opinions down in the comments, and do let me know about any and all mistakes you may have found.

~Powerdrainer