Sunset Rekindled

by EldritchNexus

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sunset Shimmer, Lightning Dust, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Original Character, Trixie, Adventure
Length: 148301

Sequel to "Sunset Eclipsed". Sunset Shimmer and her friends go on a new adventure that takes them to Las Pegasus, Saddle Arabia, and beyond..

Set two weeks after Sunset Eclipsed, Sunset Shimmer has learned many lessons and made something of a name for herself in Canterlot. Now, she finds herself thrust into a new adventure. An adventure that takes her and her friends from the streets of Las Pegasus to the faraway deserts of Saddle Arabia.

Current cover art by: Wildberry-Poptart

Published 2014-08-30 14:50:04 UTC
Last updated 2015-08-15 16:38:08 UTC

Another Day

Sunset Shimmer woke up half past noon, and yawned slowly. Bathilda was hanging from a nearby rack, sound asleep. She got up out of bed, and decided to open the door. She went downstairs for breakfast. A few ponies that were sitting at the table bade her good morning. After helping herself to some bagels, she went outside to visit her friends. She decided that she would start with Teddy. She went to an inn where he was apparently staying to see if he was having a drink.

And he was! Teddy was at the bar, wearing a leather jacket and a pair of sunglasses, and having a drink with a unicorn and pegasus.

"So, then I told him 'we can make this easy, or I can knock your lights out.'" Teddy said. "And then he said 'No money, no problem!', and then he tossed the whole bag at me and ran like a sissy."

Then Flim the unicorn and Soarin' the pegasus laughed.

"Dude, that's probably the funniest story I've ever heard in my life." said Soarin'. "Okay, guys. I gotta get back with the Wonderbolts. Catch ya later!"

Then he got off his seat and was about to leave when he stopped in front of Sunset.

"Oh...hi, Sunset." said Soarin'. "Lookin' for Teddy?"

"Yeah." nodded Sunset Shimmer.

"He's chillin' over there with Flim." said Soarin'.

Sunset approached them, and cleared her throat.

"Teddy, it seems you have company." said Flim, tapping Teddy on the shoulder and pointing at Sunset.

Teddy turned and looked at Sunset.

"Oh...hey." said Teddy, casually. "Wanna talk, huh? Why don't ya take a seat?"

Sunset got up on the stool next to Teddy.

"So what have you been up to, Ted?" asked Sunset.

"A little of this, a little of that." said Teddy. "I am awesome."

"Excuse me?" asked Sunset.

"I am the number one Bad Boy in Equestria!" said Teddy. "And nopony's gonna forget it!"

Sunset narrowed her eyes and closed them for a moment.

"Okay, Teddy. What's gotten into you?" she said in a deadpan tone.

"I'm gonna make a name for myself here in Canterlot!" said Teddy. "And I decided I would start a gang!"

"Wow, that's funny." said Sunset. "So how many members does your 'gang' have?"

"Well, there's me, and there's also Flim here, and Soarin'." said Teddy.

"Just three of you?" asked Sunset. "That's pretty lame. Why start a gang, anyway? What happened to getting a legitimate job?"

"I tried that, and it didn't work...at all." said Teddy. "I tried working at this inn, they fired me. I tried working at the palace, I ended up ripping a tapestry I was supposed to clean, so they kicked me out. So I figured I'd use some of those skills you taught me to good use. Now I'm a hustler!"

"Teddy, I doubt somepony like you would last one minute as a 'hustler'." said Sunset.

"That's why I got Flim over here." said Teddy. "He comes up with all our ideas."

"And my ideas haven't failed us yet!" said Flim.

"That reminds me, where's your brother?" asked Sunset.

"Flam's down in Ponyville with Silver Shill, working on a little something for the residents of Ponyville."

"Really." said Sunset. "I'd ask what it was, but I don't think it's any of my business."

"And I think it's time for me to go back down there, anyway." said Flim. "Farewell, Teddy. It's been a pleasure to socialize with you this morning."

The two stallions did a hoof-bump, and Flim left.

"Anyway, I just thought that I'd check up on you." said Sunset. "And see if you weren't in any real trouble."

"Me? I don't get in trouble anymore!" said Teddy. "I make trouble now."

"Oh, really." frowned Sunset.

"Yep, and it's all thanks to you, boss." said Teddy. "Yeah, I was thinking of asking you if you wanted to join our gang. You know, and be our boss."

"I'll pass." said Sunset, flatly.

Then an earth pony mare entered the bar to have a drink.

"Hey there, baby." Teddy leaned against her. "Wanna have a drink with me in the back parlor?"

He flexed his front-right leg, and growled suggestively. The mare struck Teddy in the gut, and left while scoffing loudly.

"Real smooth, Teddy." said Sunset, sarcastically.

Teddy laughed nervously through his pain.

"I still need to practice."

"Teddy, just drop this whole charade, will you?" asked Sunset. "I know what you're like, and this just isn't you. Acting like a thug around everypony won't make them like you. It just gives them more of a reason to shun you. So please, could you stop acting like this? If only for me?"

"Ugh...okay, boss." said Teddy, reluctantly. "I'll try going legit again."

"Good move." said Sunset with a smile. "I'll see ya later, okay? I'm gonna check on my other friends."

"Okay, boss."

In Vanhoover, Scarlet Blaze was still looking for Golden Sun.

"So, have you two had any luck finding where my husband might be?" Scarlet Blaze asked Frosty and Nose Nip.

"Sorry, but we haven't." said Nose Nip. "We've searched every nook and cranny of this town, and nopony we've talked to can give us any real information."

"Yeah, it's like everypony's forgotten Golden Sun evuh existed!" said Frosty.

"Ridiculous!" scoffed Scarlet. "My husband was one of the most prolific unicorns in all of Equestria. Even if nopony's seen him in fifteen years, surely there are still books all about him!"

"Maybe, but uh..." said Frosty. "Did ya evuh consider the possibility that...uh...maybe we'll never find him?"

"Excuse me?" Scarlet narrowed her green eyes.

"Just sayin'!" said Frosty. "I wouldn't be gettin' my hopes up if I was you!"

Scarlet started to growl.

"I'm just sayin'!" said Frosty.

"And what are you saying?" Scarlet snarked dryly. "That I should just give up? Yeah, that's thinking positive."

"No, I ain't sayin' that at all!" said Frosty. "Well, kinda--I mean, did I mention how beautiful your eyes are?"

Scarlet narrowed her eyes and bent over Frosty.

"Okay, we'll try looking for your husband. I promise!" said Frosty, chuckling nervously. "Just please, cool it, lady!"

"That's better." said Scarlet.

"Well, I'm going to check by the Obsidian Horseshoe again, okay?" said Nose Nip. "Before Frosty here gets me roped into any more of his harebrained schemes."

"Actually, I think you two should come with me." said Scarlet. "I'm going to do what I should've done as soon as I came back: I'm going to check my husband's study for anything he might have been researching on the day he disappeared."

"Why da heck didn't I thinka dat?" asked Frosty, scratching his head.

Scarlet dug through the various books and tomes in Golden Sun's study, with Frosty and Nose Nip piling the ones she checked on the far side of the room.

"It's got to be here somewhere."

"Wow, this looks like the fakest baloney stuff I've ever read in my life." said Frosty. "Looks like your husband left a lotta books half-translated. Nips, look at all the typos on these pages!"

Nose Nip read an excerpt aloud:

"'Covered with the shell, it will make you pain when you think it as a little dinosaur.' What the buck does that mean?'" he asked Frosty.

"I dunno, Nips." said Frosty, fighting the urge to laugh. "But it sure is funny."

"Will you two quit horsing around?!" snapped Scarlet.

"Sorry, ma'am!" said Nose Nip and Frosty at once, with their tails between their legs.

"I can't find it!" growled Scarlet. "But all of my husband's tomes were supposed to be in this room!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention." said Frosty. "Radiant told me a while back that to pay for food and stuff, he had to donate a bunch of artifacts and things to the University of Baltimare. So whatever you're lookin' for, it probably ain't here anymore. Not to mention that Sunset might've taken some stuff, too."

Scarlet sighed, and scoffed in annoyance.

"Well, I should've expected something like this to happen." she said. "Fifteen years don't go like they're nopony's business. At least the estate's still here. Though I think I'd give it all away if it meant seeing my family back together again."

"Could I have it, then?" asked Frosty. "I always wanted to live in a mansion!"

"Shut up, Frosty." said Scarlet, casually.

"Excuse me?" said a voice.

A male unicorn stallion entered the room. He was one of the recent employees of the Daystar Manor staff.

"Forgive me, but I couldn't help but overhear what you three were saying." he said. "But I used to work at the University of Baltimare until it had a very unfortunate budget cut."

"Go on." said Scarlet.

"Ma'am, the university had to counter their cuts by axing some classes and staff members. They also sold several items to a private collector in Las Pegasus, by the name of Summerset. Maybe one of them could be what you were looking for?"

"Summerset?" asked Scarlet.

"Yes. He's a rich Saddle Arabian stallion that collects rare and obscure artifacts from all over Equestria. I would call him a treasure hunter, but he rarely does it himself. Not when he can hire real treasure hunters and mercenaries to do his work. I heard he tried a couple of times to purchase the Elements of Harmony from Princess Celestia. Of course, that's only a rumor."

"I don't like the sound of this guy." said Nose Nip. "He just sounds like some greedy supervillain."

"Let's not jump to conclusions." said Scarlet. "This Summerset fellow might want these things so that he could put them in a museum or something."

"Well, I don't know much about him, myself, to be honest." said the servant. "But he runs his business from a skyscraper in Las Pegasus. So your best bet of finding what you're looking for..."

"Is in Las Pegasus." finished Scarlet Blaze.

"Road trip!" exclaimed Frosty, gleefully.

"Excuse me?" asked Scarlet.

"I always wanted to go to Las Pegasus!" said Frosty. "It's practically been my dream of checking it out! What'dya think, Nips?"

"Normally, I'd stay here, but I think I'll make an exception." said Nose Nip. "I've gotta see a little of the outside world eventually!"

"Fine. You two can come along." said Scarlet Blaze.

A New Beginning

Sunset went over to Donut Joe's shop, where Trixie was boasting about her latest magic show.

"Joe, you should've seen me!" said Trixie. "The whole crowd was wild for me! It was undoubtedly the Great and Powerful Trixie's greatest and most powerful performance yet!"

"Whatever you say, Trix." said Donut Joe, clearly uninterested. "Look, I love makin' small talk and all, but are you actually gonna have any donuts or what?"

"Yes, I'll have two--no, six--with peanut butter-flavored frosting, please!" said Trixie.

"Comin' right up!" said Donut Joe, going into the back room.

"Hey, Trixie." said Sunset.

"Hi, Sunset." said Trixie. "And how may Trixie help you this fine morning?"

"I just wanted to see what you were up to." said Sunset, sitting next to her friend.

"Ah, I plan to go to Las Pegasus soon." said Trixie. "My father is going to be performing a special magic act for the opening night of some casino there. It will be the first time I've seen my father in a long time."

"Sounds exciting." said Sunset. "I bet he'd be proud to see what his daughter's done so far."

"I'm a little nervous, though." admitted Trixie.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie? Nervous?" asked Sunset Shimmer. "What've you got to worry about?"

"Well, it's just that my father's such a good magician that it's going to be very hard to impress somepony of his caliber." said Trixie.

"Hey, I'm sure you'll be great." said Sunset. "And even if he weren't, I'm sure he'll still love you."

"You're probably right." said Trixie. "Hey, maybe you'd like to come along with me? I heard Las Pegasus is one of the most exciting places in all of Equestria."

"Sure, I think that would be great." said Sunset. "Though I was hoping to catch the premiere of Beware the Filly Flasher."

"The what?" questioned Trixie Lulamoon.

"Oh, that movie that those guys filmed at Daystar Manor." said Sunset.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about them." said Trixie. "Though I shall admit: I prefer live entertainment."

"Okay." said Sunset. "When's your dad gonna be in Las Pegasus, anyway?"

"Some time next week." said Trixie.

"Then maybe if Princess Luna will left me take a break from her lessons, she won't mind if I come along with you! It'll be so fun!"

The door opened, and Radiant Dawn came inside. He rushed to Sunset's side as soon as he saw her.

"Hey, girls." he said. "What are you two doing?"

"Hey, Red." said Sunset. "Trixie was just telling me that she's going on a trip to Las Pegasus to pay her dad a visit."

"Las Pegasus, huh?" repeated Radiant. "I always wanted to go there. I mean, I've read all about that place, but I've never had the opportunity to actually go there. Maybe now would be a good time."

"But don't you have a job here, Red? Being a member of the Night Guard and all?" asked Sunset.

"The good captain gave me the next week off." said Radiant. "As long as I work twice as hard the week after."

"That's nice of him." said Sunset. "That means we'll have more time to spend together."

"That reminds me: How's your lessons going with Princess Luna?" asked Radiant Dawn, curiously. "You haven't told me anything about them in ages."

"Umm...they're...good?" said Sunset, hesitantly. "I mean, they're great."

"Sunset Shimmer, you're not fibbing to your own flesh and blood, are you?" asked Radiant, blankly.

"Red, it's really not that big a deal." said Sunset. "I'm just having a little trouble staying awake, is all. I've been doing these lessons every night for nearly three weeks straight. I haven't even left town in days! Even Bathilda's got more free-time than me right now."

"Who the heck's Bathilda?" asked Radiant.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." said Sunset. "I got a pet bat a few days ago. I found her eating fruit out of a tree in the palace gardens, and she's stuck with me ever since, and even helps me out during Princess Luna's lessons. I was going to tell you about her sometime, but I haven't gotten the chance until just now."

"Maybe you should show her to me sometime?" asked Radiant.

"I think I'd like to see your new pet, too." said Trixie.

"Maybe later." said Sunset. "I've gotta get back to the palace right now."

"Okay. See ya later, Sunset." said Trixie.

Sunset climbed off her seat, and left.

"Radiant, I was wondering: Where's Lightning Dust right now?" Trixie asked. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"She's on a mission in Manehatten, apparently." said Radiant Dawn. "According to Captain Shield, it's classified."

In Manehatten, a group of gangsters were robbing a museum.

"Let go! You don't know what you're doing!" said the middle-aged earth pony curator, who was being pinned down by a pair of pegasus thugs.

"Actually, we do know what we're doing: our job." said the apparent ringleader, a male unicorn wearing a dark blue suit and matching sunglasses. "Now, let's see where that Crystal Scepter is..."

Several more thugs were running around, searching every exhibit for the artifact their boss coveted.

"C'mon, boys! Pick up the pace! The big boss will want this by next week!" said Mr. Blue. "We don't want to keep him waiting."

Suddenly, there were raised voices throughout the building and the sounds of loud crashes.

"What the buck is everypony doing?!"

"Sorry, dude, but stealing from a museum is not cool!" said a voice.

"Who said that?!" said Mr. Blue, looking around frantically.

"Up here!"

Mr. Blue looked up, and saw three pegasi in black flightsuits ominously hovering over him.

"What the heck?!"

"I'm Sergeant Lightning Dust of Princess Luna's Shadowbolts, and I'm placing every last one of you under arrest!" said the pegasus in the middle.

"Then come and get us!" said Mr. Blue, whose horn began to glow.

Mr. Blue's thugs regrouped, and charged at the three Shadowbolts when they dropped to the floor. But even as they did so, the Shadowbolts shot back upwards, causing several thugs to collide with each other or into the nearby wall. Several paintings and sculptures nearby were enveloped in an aura, and began flying around the room.

"Boys, make sure none of that stuff gets wrecked!" said Lightning. "I'll take care of the thugs!"

The other two Shadowbolts flew around, catching the flying pieces of artwork as they went, and Lightning Dust flew around the room, grabbing thugs and throwing them into a corner. That is, until she got to Mr. Blue, who blasted her against the wall with a concussive blast from his horn.

"You wanna get rough?" panted Lightning, getting back up. "Then let's get rough!"

She shot towards him, unleashing a flurry of blows with her front hooves and wings...which Mr. Blue somehow managed to block with a single front leg.

"Okay, you're really starting to make me mad!" Lightning growled.

She hovered upright, and performed a flash-kick on Mr. Blue, sending him flying into the high ceiling. However, the unicorn was able to catch himself in mid-air with his telekinesis just before he hit the top. He looked down at Lightning Dust, and used his telekinesis to fire himself like a rocket back down to her. Lightning gasped for a second, then shot herself through to air to intercept him with enough speed to produce one of her signature lightning trails. The two collided with each other with great intensity., producing a shockwave that expanded within a ten-yard radius, knocking over anything and everyone near them.

The remaining thugs took advantage of this confusion, and bolted out through the main entrance, and disappearing into the crowd of pedestrians on the streets. The Shadowbolts regrouped around Lightning Dust and Mr. Blue.

"You're surrounded, buddy-boy." said Lightning. "Now come quietly, or--"

"I think not!" said Mr. Blue, whose horn glowed again. "Think fast!"

A nearby forty-foot statue of a unicorn mare was enveloped in an aura, and began to tip over. Thinking fast, Lightning Dust's wingponies flew up to catch it before it hit the floor, and set it back in place. Mr. Blue took advantage of the moment by using his telekinesis to catapult Lightning through the air and escape. By the time, Lightning Dust caught herself, he was already gone.

"Rats!" groaned Lightning. "We were so close to catching those guys!"

"Thank you, ma'am!" said the curator, who got back up from where he was prone on the floor. "You and your men saved the priceless historical artifacts of my beloved museum. How can I ever thank you?"

"I don't think you should really thank us." said Lightning. "The bad guys got away."

"Yes, they did get away...empty-hooved." smiled the curator.

The crowd outside started pouring in, clamoring incessantly and trying to make sense of the battle that just occurred.

"Move along, everypony!" said one of the Shadowbolts, who flew up to them with the intent to quell the noise. "This is official royal business! It doesn't concern you!"

"So, what were those guys trying to steal anyway?" Lightning asked, amid the noise in the foyer.

"They were looking for a relic from the distant past known as the Crystal Scepter." said the curator. "It was an heirloom of the first dynasty of the Crystal Empire, dating back to twelve-hundred years ago. One-of-a-kind, indeed."

"But why would they wanna steal it?"

"I don't know for certain, but I believe they may have been black marketeers."

"Black marketeers?" Lightning Dust repeated.

"Yes, ma'am." said the curator. "Ever since the Plunderseed incident in Ponyville and the attacks in Fillydelphia, demand for powerful charms and artifacts has skyrocketed throughout Equestria. And rightfully so, I daresay. After all, we'll need to find something to protect Equestria with the Elements of Harmony gone! But unfortunately, both sides of the law apparently agree with this! I mean, raiding a public museum in broad daylight? How low can these criminals possibly go?"

"Do you have any idea who might've wanted the Crystal Scepter, sir?" asked Lightning Dust.

"I'm not too sure." admitted the curator. "But I overheard one of the thugs mentioning a buyer in Las Pegasus wanting the Crystal Scepter."

"Las Pegasus, huh?" asked Lightning. "That's a long way's away from Manehatten, that's for sure. Whoever wanted the scepter must be or want to be a really powerful guy. I think I'll try and check it out once me and the other Shadowbolts go back to Canterlot."

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me and my museum." said the curator. "But what if they return?"

"Don't worry, old timer." said Lightning. "I promise that I'll tell the princesses about this, and they'll have a whole squad of specially-trained royal guards here in a heartbeat!"

"Thank you so much, ma'am." said the curator.

"Okay, boys! Let's patch things up and get back to Canterlot!" said Lightning. "I want a clean sweep of the building to make sure there's nothing gone or out-of-place!"

Preparing for the Journey

The next morning, when it was still dark out, Mr. Blue was trotting down one of the darker streets of Las Pegasus, during a rainstorm. The streets were remarkably depressing and empty at this time. This made it all the better for Mr. Blue; he did not like to be followed. He went around the corner until he came to the main entrance of the forty-floor Summerset Tower. He was quickly admitted inside by the two pegasi guarding the entrance. After shaking the rainwater off of him, he found there were already others waiting for him there: a pegasus in a bright red overcoat and hat wearing round red-tinted glasses, and an earth pony in a yellow tracksuit with black stripes on the sides.

"Well, it looks like a certain somepony's been running late again!" said Mr. Red, grinning smugly. "So where's the loot?"

"I had to cut the Manehatten heist short." said Mr. Blue. "My team was intercepted by some of Princess Luna's Shadowbolts. We were forced to retreat before the royal guards closed in on us."

"The boss is gonna get pretty mad about this." said Mr. Red in a singsong voice.

"I know he will." said Mr. Blue. "But I can assure him that none of my men squealed."

"They had better not." said Mr. Yellow. "Good help is so hard to come by nowadays, even for us."

Then there was a buzzing noise, and a mare's voice filled the foyer.

"Gentlemen, Mr. Summerset will be expecting you all now!" said the voice on the loudspeakers.

The three stallions took an elevator to the top floor, where their employer was waiting for them in his office. Mr. Summerset, a tall stallion with a black mane and beard and a bronze coat, was sitting silently at his desk. His three henchmen bowed in salute.

"Gentlecolts, I wish to discuss something very important with the three of you." he said.

"Yes, sir?" asked Mr. Blue.

"I want you to look out the window for a moment."

Mr. Summerset turned around to look out the window behind his chair, beckoning the three stallions to join him. From there, they had a view of the entire cityscape that is Las Pegasus, with its many skyscrapers, casinos, and nightclubs. However, most of the city was obscured by the dark skies and heavy amounts of rain.

"This city has so much untapped potential in it, and nopony can bring it to life like me and my organization can."

"Of course, sir." said Mr. Yellow.

Mr. Summerset turned around and spoke:

"Before I came here, this city was nothing but broken dreams and out-of-reach stars. A dark and depressing place for all. Fortunately, those days are long-gone. See those neon signs? Those beautiful buildings that form our new skyline? The lines of ponies waiting eagerly outside for the casinos to open, even if it meant getting pneumonia?

"I alone made these things possible. But it is not enough. But I'm afraid this idea I have of a perfect city is not going to last forever. This city needs more! I need more, if I am to rule Las Pegasus! And that is why it is important that I acquire all the magic and power and I can get my hooves on; to keep my empire flourishing! Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." said Mr. Red.

"Now pay attention." said Mr. Summerset. "I have a new mission that will require all three of you. I have been informed of an artifact in the possession of a mare in northern Equestria, not too far from Ponyville. You will find a map on my desk with her location marked."

Mr. Blue levitated the map off the desk, and he and his colleagues read it.

"Yes, I believe this can be arranged, sir." he said with a grin.

That night, Sunset Shimmer decided that she would try persuading Princess Luna to let her take a break from her lessons.

"I am sorry, Sunset Shimmer, but I'm afraid I cannot permit you to travel to Las Pegasus." said Luna. "You simply have too much work to catch up on."

"I know, Princess Luna, I know!" said Sunset. "But don't you think I could take a few days off? I've been doing nothing but lessons for you for nearly two months now, since the day I came back to Equestria. Could we please take things a little easy?"

"Sunset, please listen." said Luna. "I understand that my lessons may seem challenging, but I'm having you take lessons here in Canterlot so that you will be safe. There are all sorts of evil creatures out there in the world, and I don't wish for you to be harmed. I already put your life on the line too often as it is."

"But I always pulled through, Luna." said Sunset. "I'm a big girl, and can handle myself."

"Of course, but I still cannot help but feel concerned for your safety." said Luna. "Especially since the Chrysalis Syndicate entered our world to try abducting you, and with King Nelphyn on the loose somewhere in the world."

"Okay, that's a pretty good point, but there's no way I'd be that defenseless." said Sunset.

"She's right, Luna." said a familiar voice.

Princess Celestia strode into the throne room.

"Sister, I don't mean to criticize your methods of tutoring Sunset Shimmer, but I think you should give Sunset a little more free-time once in a while." she said. "After all, I allowed Twilight Sparkle to stay in Ponyville and continue her studies and be a princess there. Maybe now's the right time to let Sunset try continuing her studies outside."

"Are you certain about this, sister?" asked Luna. "But the last time I tried sending her somewhere to learn a lesson, I ended up putting her in danger!"

"Luna, really! I'm fine!" said Sunset. "I know you care about me, and don't want me to get hurt, but I honestly don't want or need a foal-sitter 24/7. If I did, I wouldn't be learning all this advanced magic and stuff!"

"That is a very good point, Sunset." said Celestia in agreement. "So what do you say, Luna? Would you please give her some time off?"

Luna scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Of course, sister." said Luna, reluctantly. "But I personally don't think this is a good idea!"

"Don't worry, Luna." said Sunset. "I'll be sure to send messages to you at least once a day."

"However do you plan to do it?" asked Luna.

Sunset Shimmer whistled, and Bathilda flew in through an open window and fluttered beside her owner.

"I'll have her deliver notes to you telling you how I am and what I've been doing." said Sunset. "I've been practicing that coordination spell, too, so it should be a no-brainer. In fact..."

Sunset's horn glowed, and a sheet of paper and a pen were levitated from her knapsack. She telekinetically scrawled a note and levitated it towards Bathilda, whose head was illuminated by a bluish-green aura. The bat took the paper, rolled it up, and flew out the window with it. A couple of minutes later, she returned carrying a reply from Captain Star Shield.

"Rather efficient." said Luna, smiling. "Yes, I think this might work! Such a clever idea, Sunset!"

"Thanks for standing up for me back there, Princess Celestia." said Sunset, when the two were travelling together along a corridor.

"My pleasure, my dear." Celestia smiled. "You may not learn from me anymore, but you are still as much my student as you are Luna's. So I figured that I could get you out of a tight spot."

Sunset smiled.

"I know we haven't spoken to each other in a while, but I'm so proud of what you are doing lately. You've made so many friends, learned so much about friendship, and brought friendship to others that needed it. You have really turned yourself around. You're definitely a vast improvement from the arrogant and ambitious filly that abandoned her studies and ran off to an alternate world."

"I know, and I'm grateful for what I have now." said Sunset, happily. "And Luna's really not a bad teacher. She's actually one of the best I've had in my whole life. Right up there with you."

Princess Celestia smiled.

"I'm sure Luna would be so happy to hear that." she said, softly. "And so am I. You know, Luna being your mentor has been much an experience for her as it has for you. As you are no doubt aware, she's never really taken a student before you. So you agreeing to be her student was a truly remarkable opportunity for her to experience that sort of responsibility."

"So that's why she's so protective of me." said Sunset. "She doesn't wanna screw up the 'having a student' thing."

"That's right." said Celestia. "And so it's really paid-off for you both."

"It sure has." said Sunset, adding with a yawn: "Well, good night, Princess Celestia."

"Good night, my dear Sunset." said Celestia.

The next morning, Sunset, Trixie, and Radiant Dawn were at the Canterlot train station. They had the whole trip planned out: They would take the train from Canterlot to Vanhoover. From there, they would take a ship from the docks due South until they reached Las Pegasus. They packed with them plenty of provisions for the trip there. Sunset even brought Bathilda along.

"So I'm guessing Pressure Point wasn't interested in going?" Sunset asked Trixie.

"Nope." said Trixie. "I mean, he's got so much work at the hospital as it is. Even if he didn't, I couldn't stand the idea of traveling for almost two days with him."

"Too bad Lightning Dust hasn't come back yet, or she could probably come along, too." commented Sunset.

"Yeah, I was really hoping to see her by now." said Trixie. "I mean, she could at least be here to see us off, don't ya think?"

"Okay, are we all set?" asked Radiant. "The train's gonna leave in a half an hour, so we've got a little time for a bathroom break if any of us need it."

"Hey! You guys! Wait up for me!" said a familiar voice.

Sunset and her companions turned around, expecting to see Lightning Dust. Instead, it was Teddy.

"Hey, you weren't thinking about running off without me, were ya?" he said to Sunset.

"Teddy, what're you doing here?" asked Trixie.

"I'm gonna join you guys!"

"Dare I ask why?" asked Sunset. "I thought you promised me you'd try finding a job here!"

"I know, I know." said Teddy. "But maybe hanging out with you guys could, you know, boost my confidence a little. What'dya say, boss? I promise I won't take up much room!"

Sunset looked at the clock; time was running out.

"Okay, Ted." she said. "You can come along. I think we have enough money to buy an extra ticket. But no more freebies, okay?"

"No problem, boss." Teddy nodded.

The Road to Las Pegasus, Part 2

Soon enough, the train stopped at the Vanhoover station. Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, Trixie Lulamoon, and Teddy all got off and started walking together down the docks. Along the way, a few ponies and gryphons greeted them with a "Hello!" or a "Bonjour!". Teddy looked around nervously, expecting at any moment for Gilda to show up and attack him again. When they came to the docks, they found nearly a hundred ponies were all ascending the ramp to get on board a luxury cruise liner.

"No pushing or shoving, please!" said one of the guards on the boardwalk. "There is plenty of room for every one of you, so please act civil!"

"No stealing or fighting allowed!" said another guard. "Anyone caught disturbing the peace will find themselves swimming back here!"

"Bonjour, monsieurs and mademoiselles!" said a mare, an attractive young earth pony with a white coat and pink mane, who was manning the ticket booth near the ramp to Sunset Shimmer and her friends. "You would like four tickets, no?"

"Oui!" said Sunset Shimmer. "Four tickets!"

"Yes, thank you!" said the ticket mare. "Sixty bits please!"

Sunset Shimmer paid the money, and received four tickets.

"Many thanks, miss!" said the ticket mare. "I do hope you four enjoy your cruise!"

Sunset, Radiant, and Trixie joined the line, but Teddy hesitated. He hadn't been on a ship before, let alone a cruise ship.

"Monsieur, you do not wish to miss your cruise, do you?" asked the mare, politely.

"N...no, of course not." said Teddy, nervously. "I just don't know if I'll get seasick or not."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you will be just fine!" said the mare with a smile. "Now off you go, monsieur! See you when you return, handsome!"

Teddy blushed, then bolted up the ramp to catch up to his friends. Once the four were on the ship, they got to their rooms, and put on Hawaiian shirts and mirrored sunglasses.

"Let our vacation begin!" said Sunset and Radiant at once.

After a while, Nose Nip decided to slow down the boat. During this time, he, Frosty, and Scarlet Blaze decided to get to know each other more.

"So, I was wondering:" said Scarlet. "What the heck kind of name is 'Nose Nip', anyway?"

"Well, it's because when I was a foal, I had a habit of nibbling on my dad's nose." said Nose Nip.

Scarlet snickered.

"Well, I was just over a year old, and teething at the time!"

"Just over a year old?" asked Scarlet. "It took your parents a whole year to name you?"

"Actually, they weren't really my parents." said Nose Nip. "My real parents died a few months after I was born. And then I was taken in by a fisher and his wife."

"Well, that's...actually pretty sad." said Scarlet Blaze.

"You should hear the full story." Frosty told Scarlet. "It's actually pretty depressing."

"And so I was able to relate to your son." said Nose Nip to Scarlet. "He lost his parents, I lost mine. We could relate to one another. Though I don't know whether I should say my situation was better or worse than Radiant's. On one hoof, his parents didn't really die, like mine did, and you're living proof of that. On the other, I actually had a family to adopt and raise me, while Radiant and Sunset had nopony to watch over them before they went to Canterlot. It was just them and them alone in that mansion of yours."

"And how did they survive for so long, then?" asked Scarlet.

"I remember Radiant telling me that he and Sunset learned most of what they knew from reading your husband's books and stuff." said Nose Nip.

"My husband always was the scholar." mused Scarlet.

"Just outta curiosity, would ya mind tellin' us what your husband's like?" asked Frosty. "Maybe how you two met, too?"

"I guess so." said Scarlet. "It's not like we'll be getting to Las Pegasus right away."

THIRTY YEARS AGO...

Scarlet Blaze was sitting at a bar in a night-club in Baltimare, where a jazz band was playing a lively song.

"I'll have another hard lemonade." she said to the bartender.

"Yes, ma'am." he replied, using his telekinesis to prepare Scarlet's drink.

Scarlet opened her purse, realizing she was out of money. Before she could wonder how she was going to pay for the drink, a well-dressed unicorn stallion with a short golden mane, cream-colored coat, and silvery-blue eyes sat on a stool beside her.

"And let that drink, and the next one after it, be on me." said the stallion.

"Yes, sir." said the bartender.

Scarlet turned.

"Thank you." said Scarlet, with a little smile. "But why did you do it?"

"My good fortune is your good fortune." said the stallion, grinning back at her. "A beautiful mare like you deserves to have any drink she likes."

"How generous of you." Scarlet blushed, although her mauve coat made this hard to see. "And your name is?"

"Sun." said the stallion. "Professor Golden Sun, University of Baltimare. Charmed to meet you, miss..."

"Blaze. Scarlet Blaze. So you're a professor?"

"Correct!" said Golden Sun. "Though I wouldn't need to be one to say that you are a truly remarkable lady. But I'm sure you get that a lot, so I'm also going to say this: Your eyes are the brightest of all emeralds, the red-gold color of your mane is of a fire that should never be put out, and would be radiant at dawn and shimmer in the sunset, and..."

"Thanks." Scarlet said, snickering. "But you don't need to narrate what I remind you of! If you wanna say I'm beautiful, then just say so."

"Okay, then:" Golden Sun said, blushing a little himself. "You are beautiful."

"There, now was that so hard?" asked Scarlet.

PRESENT DAY...

Scarlet was busy reflecting on this, and chuckled to suppress the pain she felt, being separated from him.

"Wherever you are, I bet you'd be absolutely proud of our children." she thought. "They've grown up so much in our absence. They've gone through greater hardships in their childhood alone than we have in our own lives, so far, combined."

Her eyes started to water, and she solemnly bowed her head.

Frosty and Nose Nip went up to comfort her.

"Don't you worry, ma'am." said Frosty. "We'll find your husband in no time! Just as soon as we get to Las Pegasus!"

Then Nose Nip turned around.

"Look at that!"

It was the cruise ship from Vanhoover.

"Dude! D'ya see how big that thing is?" exclaimed Frosty. "Man, those ponies must be havin' the time of their lives!" He started yelling to the cruise ship. "Hey! Over here! Take me with you! You can't leave me with these guys! I want some fun, too!"

But unfortunately, the ship was too far away for anyone on board to hear or see them.

"I wonder what they're doing on there, anyway." said Nose Nip.

It was the late afternoon and the sun was beginning to set. Radiant Dawn and Sunset Shimmer were singing a duet at the karaoke stand, as Trixie Lulamoon and Teddy sat back on chairs drinking fruit punch from glasses.

"This place is so awesome!" said Teddy.

"Hmm...it is adequate." said Trixie. "But I think you should wait until we get to Las Pegasus, Teddy boy. I have a feeling our lives will be made."

"And by 'ours', you mean 'yours', right?" said Teddy, rolling his eyes.

"Hush!" said Trixie. "Just wait until those sophisticates in Las Pegasus witness the excellence of me, the Great and Powerful Trixie! They will be talking about me for years, Teddy! For years!"

"Sure, assuming your dad doesn't steal your thunder." said Teddy.

"How dare you?!" Trixie turned to face Teddy. "My father would never do such a thing!"

"Okay, okay." said Teddy. "Let's not go crazy, okay? We're supposed to be having fun!"

Trixie sighed.

"I guess you're right." said Trixie. "Consider yourself fortunate that we are in a public place, or you would have invoked the Great and Powerful Trixie's wrath!"

Meanwhile, Radiant and Sunset concluded their song, and went to the front deck to meet the more sophisticated passengers of the ship.

"Sunny, look over there!" said Radiant Dawn, pointing ahead with his horn. "There's Quick Shot!"

Sunset recognized the film director, who was in a conversation with a female pegasus wearing a fancy dress with a hat and thick glasses. She decided to go over to them.

"Ah, Sunset Shimmer! It is marvelous to see you again!" said Quick Shot, turning around. "So have you come to enjoy the cruise, as well?"

"That's right." said Sunset. "How's your movie coming along?"

"The premiere is set for two days from now, ma'am." said Quick Shot. "I'm here to promote my movie to my esteemed colleagues here! Sunset, this here..."--he pointed to his pegasus companion--"...is A.K. Yearling. She's..."

"The author of the Daring Do books!" said Sunset, her eyes widened with surprise.

She rushed over to her.

"Hello, Sunset Shimmer." said A.K. Yearling. "Quick Shot here told me just now about how your brother allowed his film crew to film at your estate. I always wanted to visit Daystar Manor. I heard it's one of the most beautiful homes in Equestria."

"Ms. Yearling, I've gotta say it's an honor to meet you, too." said Sunset. "I used to read your books all the time when I was a little filly. I think my favorite has to be 'Daring Do and the Storm Tower'."

"Oh, yes. The Storm Tower." said Yearling, as if she had just remembered it herself. "That was actually one of my--er, Daring Do's very first adventures. But also one of her greatest failures...But hang on! I only allowed my publisher to distribute a few dozen copies of that book! Most official lists don't even recognize it as a part of the series! However could you have gotten a copy?"

Sunset ran back to her room and returned with her old, battered copy.

"My dad gave it to me as a birthday present when I turned three." said Sunset. "My mom read it to me all the time as a bedtime story."

"You don't say?" said A.K. Yearling.

"So, do you think you could sign my copy, Ms. Yearling?" asked Sunset.

"I don't see why not!" said Yearling, reluctantly.

She took a pen from a pocket in her dress, put it in her mouth, and scrawled her signature on the cover.

"Sunset Shimmer, you wouldn't by any chance be related to Professor Golden Sun, would you?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's my father." said Sunset.

"Remarkable." said A.K. Yearling. "You know, Golden Sun was actually a very good friend of mine. He even taught me a little about archaic lore. Shame that he disappeared."

"Yeah." said Sunset, who quickly decided to change the subject. "So, what were you talking about with Quick Shot again?"

"Miss Shimmer, if you'd really like to know..." said A.K. Yearling.

Quick Shot interrupted:

"I was in the middle of discussing with Ms. Yearling over here the possibility of making a movie or two based on her character."

"Yeah, but I'm not too sure if anypony would be interested in something like that." said A.K. Yearling, rolling her eyes.

"Well, okay then." said Sunset. "I'll see you at the premiere, Quick Shot."

"Anytime, Miss Shimmer!" Quick Shot said as she left. "Anytime!"

The Road to Las Pegasus, Part 3

"Attention, all passengers!" said a voice on the ship's loudspeakers. "Please meet on the front deck! Captain Baroque wishes to make a speech!"

Radiant Dawn, Sunset Shimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, Teddy, A.K. Yearling, Quick Shot, and the other ponies on the ship obeyed the announcement and went to the front deck. There, an earth pony in a white naval uniform was waiting.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, I am grateful that you all chose the S.S. Mirabella for your vacation." said Captain Baroque. "I trust your time on this ship so far has been satisfactory?"

There were cheers of agreement throughout the crowd.

"Then I trust you will all be grateful to know that we will be reaching our destination, the city of Las Pegasus, by tomorrow night!" continued the captain. "Travel brochures will be passed over to all passengers on the ship that will be getting off at Last Pegasus. In the meantime, enjoy the remainder of your time on our beautiful ship!"

And then the ponies all went back to their activities. As the night fell, Sunset and her friends got into their bunks in the passengers' quarters. Teddy and Radiant were both quick to fall asleep in their room, while Trixie and Sunset stayed up for a while in their own.

"I just can't wait until we actually get to Las Pegasus." said Sunset, to Trixie.

"Neither can I, Sunset." smiled Trixie.

Bathilda squeaked as she hung from a rack in the room.

"Oh yeah!" said Sunset. "I almost forgot about you! Are you hungry, girl?"

Bathilda squeaked.

"Aww, that's such a cute little bat!" said Trixie with a big smile.

She went up to it.

"Hey there, Bathilda." said Trixie. "You here to join in on the fun?"

Bathilda squeaked and opened her wings. She then proceeded to fly around the room, squeaking loudly.

"Bathilda, please! Hush!" said Sunset. "I'll feed you, okay? Just stay still!"

Bathilda kept on flying. Sunset's horn glowed, and Bathilda's head was covered in a bluish-green aura. It flew back to its perch.

"Good girl." said Sunset. "Here's a nice juicy tomato!"

She levitated a tomato up to Bathilda, who started nibbling on it happily.

"You're probably very restless, aren't you?" said Sunset. "Trixie, mind opening the window?"

"Can't you do--never mind." said Trixie, who telekinetically opened a nearby window.

"Go on, Bathilda." said Sunset. "You must be really cramped and bored. Why don't you have some fun? Fly around the ship for a little bit! Just don't spook anypony, alright?"

Bathilda nodded, flew out the window, and soared over the ship for a while.

It was half past midnight, and Mr. Blue, Mr. Red, and Mr. Yellow boarded the S.S. Mirabella from a small boat that sped alongside the vast cruise liner. Mr. Blue used his telekinesis to lift himself onto the deck, while Mr. Red carried Mr. Yellow up. Their boat's driver stayed alongside the ship. They snuck past all the sailors standing guard aboard the ship, and went inside to the lower levels, where the passengers' quarters could be found.

"She should be in one of these rooms." said Mr. Yellow.

"She better be." said Mr. Red. "We wasted a lot of time scoping out that house! We didn't even find anything even remotely valuable in there!"

"Let's make this quick, boys." said Mr. Blue. "So let's split up." he turned to Mr. Red and Mr. Yellow. "You two take the left corridor, I'll take the right."

"Got it!" said Mr. Yellow, turning to Mr. Red. "Let's go!"

Mr. Red and Mr. Yellow took the left turn, while Mr. Blue silently walked down the right turn, monitoring the doors as he went. He checked Door 19, but only an earth pony couple was found there. He went to Door 20, which was empty. Then he went to Door 21, where Sunset Shimmer and Trixie were sleeping. Mr. Blue took a moment to go inside. He looked at Sunset as she slept, and a sensation entered his mind, as if she reminded him of something from the past. Before he could figure out what it was, though, he remembered he had a mission. So he decided to part with a simple pat on Sunset's head.

"Sleep tight, kiddo." he said under his breath as he left.

Then he continued down the corridor, until an earth pony that clearly had too much to drink clumsily burst out of Door 26.

"And when you're lovin' me!" sang the pony, turning his head. "You love everything I would want to--wait, who are you?"

Mr. Blue's horn glowed, as did the earth pony's eyes for a brief moment.

"Go back to bed, sir." he said, plainly. "And stop drinking that stuff. It's bad for you!"

"Aye-aye! Heh heh heh." said the earth pony, backing into his room and knocking something over in the darkness. "Hic! I'm okay!"

Mr. Blue telekinetically shut the door, and continued down the corridor, before making a left turn, where he regrouped with Mr. Red and Mr. Yellow.

"She's not in any of the rooms we've check yet!" said Mr. Yellow.

"Nor in any of the rooms I checked." said Mr. Blue, looking back.

"Hey, guys." said Mr. Red. "I checked the guest lists. Apparently, the mare we're looking for is in Room 29, in the next corridor."

The three continued on until they came to Door 29. They knocked on the door, and faded into the shadows. They heard hoof-falls on the other side of the door, which opened up. It was A.K. Yearling. She looked outside to see who was knocking on her door, then shrugged. Just as she shut the door, a dark shape rushed in over her head. She turned around to see Mr. Red, who was laying on the bed with his right-hind leg sticking lazily in the air.

"Ah, A.K. Yearling." he said. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Well, this is my room!" said Yearling.

"Hmm...so it is!" said Mr. Red.

"Who are you, anyway?" asked Ms. Yearling. "Some kind of stalker?"

"Maybe." answered Mr. Red. "And there's two more waiting outside."

A.K. Yearling turned to look at the door.

"Uh-uh-uh." said Mr. Red. "Your business is with me, Ms. Yearling."

"So what do you want?" asked Yearling. "An autograph, perhaps?"

"No thank you." said Mr. Red. "I'm here for something you have in your possession."

"You mean the manuscript for my next book?" asked A.K. Yearling. "Sorry, but I don't see what kind of good it would do you. I only have five chapters written down!"

"Ms. Yearling, don't play dumb with me!" said Mr. Red. "I'm talking about the golden ring you acquired during your...ahem, travels."

"Golden ring?" repeated A.K. Yearling. "I don't know how you found out about it, but I'm afraid you've come all the way out here for nothing. I don't have it anymore!"

"Liar." said Mr. Red. "Our boss holds records on every artifact ever recorded. We know you have it!"

"But I don't!"

The door opened, and Mr. Yellow burst in. A.K. Yearling struck him as he leapt at her, but he shook it off and pinned her to the ground.

"We will find it, Ms. Yearling!" said Mr. Red. "You can't hide anything from the three of us for too long!"

Mr. Blue went inside, and spoke.

"And don't try pulling anything." he said. "I read every single one of your books! Yes, even 'Daring Do and the Storm Tower'!"

Mr. Blue's voice sounded so familiar to A.K. Yearling, but she couldn't quite place it. She tried to turn to look at him, but a rag was levitated and dropped over her eyes, and then tied like a blindfold. Thinking quickly, she broke free of Mr. Yellow's grip, and started thrashing blindly. Once or twice, she made her mark, striking Mr. Yellow--or was it Mr. Red?-- in the face, before she was stunned by Mr. Blue's magic.

"Ms. Yearling, why must you be so difficult with us?" asked Mr. Blue. "We just want Mr. Summerset to have what he wants!"

"Dead end, boys." said Mr. Red. "I've searched all over her room, and the ring's nowhere in here. Looks like we really did come all this way for nothing! Bye, Ms. Yearling! Looking forward to reading your next book!"

"Wait! Stop!" A.K. Yearling shouted. "Get back here now! This isn't over!"

But it was too late, the three mysterious stallions disappeared from the ship. A pair of sailors that were patrolling the corridors came inside and helped Ms. Yearling back up, removing her blindfold.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" one asked. "Should we get you to the infirmary?"

"No, I'm alright." said Yearling. "Thank you!"

She looked around the room to make if anything was missing. But to her surprise, everything was right where they should've been, and only a couple pieces of furniture were knocked over.

"What the heck happened in here?" asked the second sailor.

"A trio of stallions came in here and attacked me." said Yearling.

"What did they look like?" asked the first sailor.

"Well, one was a pegasus in red, another was an earth pony in yellow, and--although I didn't see him--a unicorn. They caught me completely off-guard, and right when I was about to fall asleep."

"Whoever these guys are, we'll let Captain Baroque know about them straight away!" said the second sailor.

"Fine, but I'd prefer if you kept this incident a secret from the other passengers, okay?" said Yearling.

"Why's that?" asked the first sailor.

"Because this is an isolated incident, and it ought to be treated as such." said Yearling. "Nothing was broken or stolen, and I barely received any injuries. And letting word go around of an attack on this cruise liner would create an unnecessary panic that could make everything too confusing and disruptive for everypony on board."

"But, we--" said the second sailor.

"Listen, gentlecolts." said A.K. Yearling. "You two keep quiet about this with the other passengers on-board, and I'll send you both copies of my next book for free, as soon as I'm finished with it. Deal?"

"Deal!" said the first sailor. "My daughter loves your books! She'll be so happy with me."

"We're still gonna tell the captain about this, okay?" said the second sailor.

"Go ahead." said Yearling.

As soon as the two sailors left to report to the captain, Yearling sat on her bed.

"I can't believe it!" she muttered to herself. "I can't believe they just got away with assaulting me! And they still got away empty-hooved! I feel so embarassed! Whoever they were, they're going down! And if Summerset's really the guy who set them on me, then he's gonna have a lot to answer for when we reach Las Pegasus!"

The Road to Las Pegasus, Part 4

Sunset Shimmer woke up with a start when she heard a loud squeaking noise. She looked around, and saw that Bathilda had returned, hanging from her rack.

"Morning, Bathilda!" said Sunset. "Did you have a good night last night?"

She looked around, and saw that Trixie was still sound asleep in her own bed.

"Trix!" Sunset called to her. "Wake up! It's morning!"

"Trixie wakes for nopony." Trixie said lazily. "Trixie wakes only when Trixie chooses to wake."

"Fine, if you don't wanna get to the front of the breakfast buffet!" said Sunset.

Trixie's eyes opened on cue. She leapt out of bed, and sped out of the door. Sunset chuckled.

"See ya later, Bathilda!" said Sunset to her bat, who had fallen asleep.

They made it to the galley, where everypony else was getting food. Radiant Dawn and Teddy were already sitting at a table, so Sunset and Trixie decided to join them.

"What's up, Sunny?" asked Radiant. "How'd ya sleep?"

"I was fine." said Sunset. "I had a dream about our father."

"Really?" said Radiant. "What happened in it?"

"I don't really remember, actually." said Sunset. "In fact, I don't think I really saw him. I just heard his voice."

"And what did he say?" said Radiant.

"I don't remember what he said, either." said Sunset. "Sorry."

"So how long are we going to be on this tub again?" asked Trixie.

"I just spoke with the captain." said Radiant. "He said that we'll be getting to Las Pegasus a lot sooner than what was scheduled."

"How come?" asked Sunset.

"Apparently, one of the passengers on this ship got attacked last night, so Captain Baroque wants the ship brought back into port at Las Pegasus as quickly as possible so that the security forces there can find the criminals."

"Really? There was an attack?" asked Teddy. "Who got attacked?"

"The captain didn't say." said Radiant Dawn. "Apparently, the passenger wanted to remain anonymous."

"Should we help look for the attackers?"

"Nah, I don't think they need us." said Sunset. "I think this looks like a job for the ship's own crew. We'd just be getting in their way. Besides, we came here for a vacation, not to solve a mystery."

"Plus, I'm supposed to be off-duty." said Radiant. "I mean, I don't wanna sound lazy or selfish, but if I wanted to do any police or guard-related work, I'd have stayed back in Canterlot."

"Then it's settled?" asked Trixie.

"Ahoy! Sunset Shimmer!" said Quick Shot, who was passing back. "Mind if we join you?"

Sunset turned and saw Quick Shot and A.K. Yearling walking towards them.

"No, you two can sit with us!" said Sunset, with a smile.

Quick Shot and A.K. Yearling sat together, the latter with an anxious expression on her face.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Trixie.

"Oh, she's a little shook up about the news of that attack." said Quick Shot. "Isn't that right?"

"Um...yes, that's right." said Yearling, hesitantly. "I couldn't sleep a wink when I heard the news!"

"Hang on!" said Teddy. "You look so familiar to me!"

"Well, I suppose you might have seen a picture of me in one of my books?" asked A.K. Yearling.

"No, I mean I think I might've actually met you before." said Teddy. "A few weeks ago in Vanhoover, at the Obsidian Horseshoe!"

"I think you're right, Ted!" said Trixie. "You sat with us that one day, while we were staying there!"

"And smacked me in the face with your wings!" said Teddy, patting his muzzle with his hoof. "Riiiight here."

A.K. Yearling's eyes widened.

"You know, I think I actually did meet you!" she said. "Oh, my goodness! I'm so sorry about that!"

"What were you doing in Vanhoover, anyway?" asked Quick Shot.

"I was on holiday there." said A.K. Yearling. "I had a very busy and stressful week and needed a place to cool down. So I went to this inn in Vanhoover to get a drink, and I decided to sit with Sunset Shimmer and her friends."

"Wow, I can't believe that was actually you that day!" said Sunset in surprise.

"Listen, kid." said Yearling to Teddy. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

"Ah, it's all right." said Teddy. "It's all in the past. By the way, the name's Teddy."

"I'm Trixie." said Trixie.

"And I'm Radiant Dawn." said Radiant. "I'm Sunset Shimmer's brother, and a member of Princess Luna's Night Guard."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Radiant Dawn." said A.K. Yearling. "My, you're a handsome one, aren't you?"

Radiant nodded with an awkward grin.

"Yeah, my girlfriend Lightning Dust tells me that a lot." he said.

"As I was just telling your sister yesterday, I knew your father." said A.K. Yearling. "Professor Golden Sun was one of the kindest and most intelligent unicorns I had ever met in my life. I can see that he had two wonderful children."

"Aw, shucks." said Radiant, brushing a hoof against the floorboards.

"But aren't you a tall one?" asked Yearling.

"He gets it from our mom." said Sunset Shimmer. "Her name's Scarlet Blaze. She's of Saddle Arabian descent, and Radiant inherited her tallness."

"Oh, so that's why I started getting so tall once I turned thirteen!" said Radiant, whose copper eyes suddenly widened. "And I'm part Saddle Arabian, huh? That's so cool! I read all those books about Saddle Arabian warriors all the time when I was a colt. I didn't think I was one of them! All of a sudden, my job as a night guard became a lot more meaningful!"

"What do you mean?" asked Sunset.

"Don'tcha see, Sunny?" said Radiant. "I was meant to be a fighter! I mean look at my body! See how big and tough I am?! I was clearly meant to see some serious action! None of that boring night-watch stuff!"

"Red, are you sure?" asked Sunset. "I mean, you've proven that you can do a great job as a night guard!"

"I mean, I don't mean any disrespect for Captain Shield, but I'd be darned if I don't have a legacy to uphold, little sis!"

"Don't you think you're getting a little worked-up?" asked Sunset.

"Maybe, but I'm gonna have the time of my life when we get to Las Pegasus!" said Radiant.

Sunset smiled.

"Red, I love this passion you have right now!" said Sunset. "You remind me of...me. But in a good way!"

The two siblings exchanged a laugh.

"I just wish Lightning Dust was here right now." said Radiant. "Oh, I just can't wait to tell her that she's been dating a bonafide Saddle Arabian without even realizing it!"

"Red, you and I are only one-eighth Saddle Arabian." said Sunset. "Not a significant fraction, if you ask me."

"Okay, yeah." said Radiant, sighing. "I guess I could relax a little."

"You know, I actually have a few colleagues and friends that are Saddle Arabian." said A.K. Yearling. "In fact, there's one in Las Pegasus. His name's Lionel Summerset."

"Summerset, huh?" said Quick Shot, who had been chatting with Trixie the whole time. "I know that stallion. I met him at the Grand Galloping Gala a few years back. He collects all kinds of kooky things from across Equestria. No idea how he does it, but he sure likes doing it!"

"I think he might enjoy it a little too much." said A.K. Yearling muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" asked Quick Shot.

"Nothing." said Yearling, audibly.

Lightning Dust was flying through the air, carrying a pouch as she went south-west to Las Pegasus.

"Don't worry, Sunset!" she said. "I'll be there! Just you wait!"

It was the middle of the afternoon, and Scarlet and her companions were still traveling along the west coast of Equestria. Tensions were rising, and Scarlet Blaze and Frosty had degenerated into an argument while Nose Nip kept manning the wheel of the boat.

"Why oh why did you have to make us use this boat?!" said Frosty, frustratedly. "Why couldn't we have gone on that cruise ship?"

"Because this is an important mission, not a vacation!" said Scarlet. "If you couldn't understand that, then maybe you should've stayed behind in Vanhoover!"

"Yeah, but we coulda had a little fun on da way there!" said Frosty. "Not ta mention we coulda had some nice beds to sleep in and decent meals to chow down on! Instead, we're sleeping on piles o' rope and eating stinkin' week-old fruit!"

"Honestly, I raised two children for eight years straight, and neither of them were ever as whiny as you're being right now!"

"And my mom never yelled at me as much as you!" countered Frosty.

"Then clearly, she didn't know how to raise a spoiled brat like you!" said Scarlet, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, my mama was nice! You're just a demanding, nagging--"

"You lack discipline, little man!" Scarlet yelled in his face, bending her head so that her eyes were glaring directly into Frosty's. "Since your mom's not around to give it to you, I'll have to give it to you, myself!"

"Hey, don'tcha dare treat me like a child!" said Frosty. "I'm twenty-eight years old! I have a career and two ex-girlfriends! I'm a somepony!"

"I don't care, small-fry." said Scarlet. "I lead a better life than you ever will, even if I haven't been able to enjoy it the past fifteen years!"

"Um, guys?" said Nose Nip, trying to intervene.

"You know what? I don't care, either!" said Frosty. "I don't care how much bigger you are than me, lady! I don't care if you're one of the most gorgeous and foxy mares I've ever met in my life! I don't even care if you're the mother of one of my best friends in all of Equestria! Nopony treats me like this and gets away with it! You got that, missy?"

"Guys?" said Nose Nip again.

"Oh, and tell your friend over there that I'm not a 'guy', I'm a lady!" said Scarlet. "Stupid middle-class--"

"Just try me, sistah!" said Frosty, whose horn started to glow.

"One step ahead of you!" said Scarlet, whose own horn started to glow with an orange aura.

"Scarlet! Frosty!" said Nose Nip.

"Stay out of this!" Frosty and Scarlet shouted at once.

"But we're in sight of the city!" shouted Nose Nip.

Scarlet and Frosty's horns stopped glowing, dropped their quarrel, and they slowly turned to see the city of Las Pegasus, just a two hundred yards away. The two unicorns exchanged awkward glances. Scarlet face-hoofed at the childish argument she just had, while Frosty went to the edge of the boat, and stopped whooping and hollering excitedly as Nose Nip pulled them into the marina.

"And look!" Nose Nip pointed out to the sea. "It looks like we just beat the cruise liner! How'dya like that?"

Viva Las Pegasus!

The rest of the cruise was relatively uneventful. It was at sunset when the S.S. Mirabella pulled into the marina of Las Pegasus. Passengers left the ship in droves. Sunset Shimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, Radiant Dawn, Teddy, Quick Shot, and A.K. Yearling decided to leave the ship together. They passed through the docks, and came into the streets of Las Pegasus.

"This is awesome!" said Teddy.

The streets were packed with ponies wearing flashy outfits and wagons were being pulled at great speed along the roads. The large buildings were lined with neon signs and billboards for various products. Spotlights shone left and right throughout the city, illuminating pegasi flying in the sky. Quick Shot went to the curb, and whistled for a taxi. Right on cue, two of them stopped for him.

"I need you guys to get me and my colleagues to the Golden Colt Hotel, understood?" he said to the drivers, who both nodded.

"Sunset Shimmer, why don't you come along with me and Ms. Yearling?" asked Quick Shot. "Your friends can take the next taxi and follow us."

"That sounds good to me!" said Sunset.

Sunset, Yearling, and Quick Shot went into the front cab, while Radiant, Trixie, and Teddy went into the back cab. The two taxis went on done the streets, making turns every so often. Las Pegasus was one of the most glamorous places most of the ponies present had ever been. Quick Shot climbed out of his seat, took a breath of the city air, and shouted:

"Viva Las Pegasus, everypony! I hope you all enjoy visiting this city as much as I enjoy living in it!"

Mr. Summserset sat in the office, with his head over his hooves.

"...And so we were too late to collect the artifact from A.K. Yearling, sir." said Mr. Yellow.

"Hmm...I actually suspected this." said Summerset. "Boys, I'm going to be hosting the opening of my new casino tomorrow night."

"Do you want us to provide security for you, sir?" asked Mr. Blue.

"No." said Mr. Summerset. "Ms. Yearling will have suspected that I was the one that sent you three to take the ring from her. I'd rather not trigger even more of a panic. You three will stay and guard my building. Dismissed!"

"Yes, sir." said the three henchponies at once, who turned away to enter the elevator.

The elevators doors opened for them, they went in, and selected the first floor. When the doors close and the elevator began to descend, the three henchponies started talking to each other.

"So, am I the only one that thinks that attacking A.K. Yearling like that seemed a little..." said Mr. Blue. "Weird?"

"Hey, for all we knew, she was an obstruction in our boss' goals." said Mr. Yellow.

"Besides, it's not like we roughed her up." said Mr. Red. "Otherwise, we might've wound up delaying her books, which would certainly attract a lot of unwanted attention."

"Don't you think that there would've been more than just a few books being published at stake?" said Mr. Blue.

"Are you saying you don't agree with the boss' orders?" asked Mr. Yellow.

"That's not what I'm saying at all." said Mr. Blue. "It's just--never mind."

Mr. Blue scratched his head nervously, running a hoof through his short golden mane. He felt a strange sensation again.

"What's wrong?" asked Mr. Yellow.

"It's probably nothing." Mr. Blue said.

"Something came up, didn't it?" said Mr. Red, taking out the red-and-black talisman clinging to his neck. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"I said 'It's probably nothing'!" said Mr. Blue, who checked his own talisman, which he kept concealed under his suit. "And it really is nothing."

When they reached the first floor, they departed without another word.

"Lesson learned:" Nose Nip muttered. "Never put two unicorns from Baltimare on the same boat. That's just asking for trouble."

"What was that, Nips?" asked Frosty.

"Nothing." said Nose Nip.

Scarlet Blaze, Frosty, and Nose Nip were walking through the docks of Las Pegasus. They got onto the streets, which were as wondrous as Frosty made them out to be.

"Ya see?" said Frosty. "I told ya this place was great!"

"And now that we're here, we can find where this Summerset lives, and then find out what happened to my husband." said Scarlet.

"Yeah, but are you sure we'll actually find your husband in this city?" asked Nose Nip. "This place is huge! One of the biggest I've ever seen! How are we even gonna find anything here?"

"I'd like ta wait till morning." said Frosty, starting to yawn. "We were on that dinky old boat all day and night! We gotta find somewhere cozy to sleep."

"I think we should call a taxi." said Nose Nip.

"Yes, that's a very good idea." said Scarlet. "Now do it."

Nose Nip whistled as loud as he could and two taxis came their way...only to pass by them with blinding speed.

"What gives?!" Frosty yelled after them. "We got money for ya, ya cheapskates!"

"Obviously, those taxis were occupied." said Scarlet. "It looks like we'll be walking."

"I wish we went on dat cruise ship." grumbled Frosty. "I'm sure they could've at least given us a map!"

"I don't need a map to find a place for the three of us to sleep." said Scarlet. "Unicorn's intuition!"

"I hear ya, sistah!" said Frosty, laughing.

Scarlet, Frosty, and Nose Nip started asking around for directions, but everyone they met was either too busy for tourists or didn't know. Eventually, in order to avoid the heavy traffic and crowds, they went into the back alleys of the city. Little did they know that this was where the more wretched inhabitants of the city lived.

"Scarlet, do you have any real idea where we were?" asked Nose Nip. "I don't like the look of this place!"--he started sniffing the air--"and it smells like my grandma's house out here. Do you have any idea how bad it stinks there? She keeps cats, you see? There's like six or seven of them, and--"

"Nips, pipe down!" said Frosty. "I think we're being watched!"

Right on cue, there were at least five stallions in fancy suits and hats staring them down, and another three coming up behind them. Hoof-falls from behind Scarlet indicated more were coming up from behind.

"Hello, cutie-pie." said the leader, with a smooth voice, to Scarlet. "What's a lovely lady like you doing out here with the likes of us? Word of advice, sweetheart: Ditch your boyfriends and come with me. I can getcha somethin' much better!"

"I don't have time for this!" said Scarlet. "Get out of our way, or you'll regret it!"

"Ha! Bloody tourists." said another thug. "These ponies have no idea who they're messing with!"

"And who are we messing with?" asked Nose Nip.

"We're the Iron Horses!" said a third thug. "We run this side of Las Pegasus! And anypony that comes our way better be doin' it for a good reason! We don't like anyone messin' with us! That includes you three! Let's get 'em!"

The dozen or so Iron Horses ganged up on the trio, but were all knocked back by Frosty and Scarlet's combined concussive blasts. Nose Nip struck down any thugs that came up to him with his strong hooves and muscular legs, while Scarlet unleashed scattered magical blasts from her horn in all directions. The struggle lasted only ten seconds.

"Hey! Who's been roughin' up my boys, huh?!" said an angry, gravelly voice.

A short earth pony in a pinstriped black suit came up to Scarlet and her companions. He was smoking from a corn-cob pipe and had a five-o'clock shadow around his mouth. His short black mane was also visibly balding.

"So what's goin' on here?" said the earth pony. "What beef do the three of yous have against my Iron Horses?"

"We don't!" said Scarlet. "Your boys apparently have a beef with us!"

"Yeah!" said Nose Nip. "Is this how everypony is Las Pegasus treats new visitors?"

"Look, I'm terribly sorry about what my boys tried to do!" said the boss. "Call me Mr. Steel. I'm the big boss of the Iron Horses!"

"Do you guys work for Summerset?" asked Scarlet.

"What? Summerset?" said Mr. Steel. "Heck no! That stallion's been trying to drive me and my boys here out of business, with his casinos and his skyscrapers and his army of thugs! But why are ya lookin' for him?"

"I've got some personal matters to attend to with him." said Scarlet Blaze. "I've been looking for my husband, and I think Summerset might help me find him."

"Oh, I see." said Mr. Steel. "Well, as much as I hate pointin' peeps in the direction of my competition, I guess I could tell ya where Summerset is! He lives downtown, in one of them big fancy skyscrapers on Corona Avenue. Can't remember which one, though."

"Thank you." said Scarlet. "But I'm afraid we'll need a place to sleep. Could you be kind enough to accommodate the three of us?"

"What?" said Mr. Steel. "We ain't a hotel! And there's no way I'm letting you three spend one more minute on our turf after what you did to my boys!"

"Please?" said Scarlet. "I am very sorry that this whole thing happened."

Scarlet opened her purse, and levitated a small bag of money out of it.

"I'll make it worth your time!" said Scarlet in a singsong voice.

"You're a shrewd businesspony, ma'am." said Mr. Steel, grabbing the bag. "Okay. You three got yourselves a place. But you're not allowed to eat any of our food, okay? Boys, show 'em where they'll be staying."

"Thank you!" said Scarlet with a smile.

And then the three were led to a rundown apartment complex on the far side of the city, away from the bright and flashier buildings that ran along the middle. Despite the dreadful lighting, sounds of vermin congregating in the walls, and water dripping from broken pipes, they were quick to fall asleep.

Sunset Shimmer and her friends finally arrived at the Golden Colt Hotel. After checking in and saying farewell to Quick Shot and A.K. Yearling, they all took the elevator to the nineteenth floor, where they all found their rooms. Sunset's room had amber-colored wallpaper and a bed with golden sheets and pillows with ruby-red cases. Next to the bed was a refrigerator that contained bottles of--among other things--ginger ale and iced tea, as well as jars of pickles and frozen fruits. Sunset took a swig of ice-cold water from the refrigerator and laid on her bed, wondering about all the things she would be doing tomorrow.

She went over to the window, where she held a beautiful view of the entire city. She could see for miles. There was heavy traffic on every street and even in the air, as pegasi raced between destinations in the dark moonlit skies. She could even see a few of the larger clouds in the sky had their own neon-lit buildings constructed on top of them. It was truly a marvel that could only ever happen in Equestria.

"This is gonna be the best vacation ever." said Sunset.

A Day in Las Pegasus

Sunset Shimmer woke up the next day to see that Bathilda had been brought over from the ship. She was already nibbling on a peach from a nearby bowl of fruit.

"You like it here, too?" said Sunset with a smile.

Bathilda squeaked happily.

"Good girl." said Sunset. "You know, Princess Luna's probably worried sick about me right now."

Bathilda nodded in agreement.

"So I'm gonna write a message for you to deliver, all right?" said Sunset.

Bathilda nodded again. Sunset took a piece of paper and a pen from her knapsack, and telekinetically scrawled a letter:

Dear Princess Luna,

We made it to Las Pegasus with no problem. Staying over at this super-cool place called the Golden Colt Hotel. I'm gonna be the guest of honor at a movie premiere later today. It sounds really exciting! Hope to hear from you soon!

Your student, Sunset Shimmer.

And then she placed the letter in an envelope and gave it to Bathilda, who seized it in one claw. The bat turned to fly out the window, but decided to stay since it was daytime.

"Right." said Sunset. "Forgot about that. Don't worry, I'll be back soon enough. Just don't eat too fast. You might get a stomach-ache!"

Bathilda gave Sunset a thumbs-up and flew to a rack in the corner. Sunset opened her door to see that Radiant Dawn was outside.

"How'd ya sleep, Sunny?" asked Radiant.

"Just fine, Red." said Sunset. "How about you?"

"Much better than I did on the ship, that's for sure!" said Radiant.

"Quick Shot said that the premiere of his movie will be tonight." said Sunset. "Wanna go see it? I mean, since they did film that movie at our home."

"Sure." said Radiant. "In fact, I already talked to Trixie and Teddy about it. They both said they'd rather go to the opening of the Summerset Casino."

"Oh, yeah!" said Sunset. "Trixie's father was supposed to be there that night! I almost forgot about it."

"Hello, Sunset." said Trixie, who came up to them.

"Goin' to see your dad?" said Sunset.

"That's right." said Trixie. "Are you going to come with?"

Sunset frowned.

"Um, sorry..." hesitated Sunset. "But I already promised Quick Shot that I'd see his movie."

Trixie scoffed.

"Very well." she said, scornfully.

She marched off with her head tilted up and eyes shut.

"Trixie, what's wrong?" asked Sunset.

"Nothing you would have to worry about!" said Trixie.

Teddy emerged from his bedroom, still brushing his teeth.

"What the heck's goin' on out here?" he said.

Trixie put a hoof around Teddy's neck.

"Teddy and I are going to the Summerset Casino together." she said spitefully. "We'll see you two later!"

Teddy thought it would be a bad idea to argue with Trixie, so he decided to play along as Trixie marched him to the elevator. He managed to give Sunset and Radiant a wave just as the elevator doors shut.

"What's her problem?" said Radiant.

"I don't know." said Sunset. "I hope she's gonna be okay, though."

"Hey, Yearling!" said Quick Shot. "Wanna go out for lunch with me? I know a restaurant that serves the most exquisite meals in Las Pegasus."

"Sorry, Quicky." said A.K. Yearling. "But I'll pass. I'm too busy working on my book. Ever since that incident on the ship, I can't afford to waste any time away from writing my books. I'll just order room service, okay?"

"Well, you don't have to go out if you don't want to!" said Quick Shot, scratching his head. "But would you like to come with me and my entourage to the premiere of my movie later tonight?"

"Look, I'd absolutely love to, Quicky." said Yearling, putting a hoof on Quick Shot's shoulder. "I really want to do this for you, but I'm afraid business comes before pleasure in my book. I've got a very, very important meeting at the opening of the Summerset Casino tonight. I hope you understand."

Quick Shot sighed.

"Okay." he said. "I was just really looking forward to letting you see my movie. You know, to see what you'd think of it."

"Thank you." said A.K. Yearling. "I promise, I'll see your movie with you some other time."

"I'll see you later, then." said Quick Shot, who turned to leave with great reluctance.

When Quick Shot took the elevator, A.K. Yearling went back into her room, and opened up her trunk. She sorted through her explorer gear until she found what she was looking for: her mountain-climbing equipment, which included a tight black leather outfit and balaclava. She put them on and grabbed a pair of binoculars from a compartment in the trunk.

"Okay, let's see what Summerset's really up to." Daring Do said to herself as she opened the window.

She climbed out, and glided over to the next building across the street. She ran across that building's roof, and then flutter-jumped to the next one over. She repeated this process several times over until she made it to Corona Avenue, where she landed on a casino that was next door to Summerset's tower. She had a panoramic view of the street below, where three ponies were approaching the main entrance. She watched them with her binoculars.

Scarlet Blaze, flanked by Frosty and Nose Nip, approached the main entrance to Summerset Tower.

"Greetings, citizens!" said the pegasus guarding the front doors. "This is Summerset Tower, headquarters of Mr. Summerset and his company. May I help you with anything?"

"Yes." said Scarlet. "We demand a meeting with your boss as soon as possible."

"I'm so sorry, but Mr. Summerset is not available at this building today."

"Why the heck not?" asked Frosty.

"Because he is too busy to accept any visitors." said the pegasus guard. "He is currently preparing for the opening of his casino on Electric Boulevard. If you want to speak with him, you can find him there tonight."

"But this is urgent!" said Scarlet. "The life of the stallion I love may be at stake!"

"Ma'am, I understand you have family problems, but there's really nothing I can do to help you!" said the guard. "Now if you have anything for Mr. Summerset, you will either have to see him at the Summerset Casino tonight, or come back here tomorrow."

Scarlet growled in frustration.

"Fine." said Scarlet, turning around. "Frosty! Nose Nip! Come with me!"

And so the two stallions followed her back down the street.

"Not accepting any visitors, huh?" Daring Do said. "Well, I guess I'll have to take Option B."

She took off through the air and landed against a window on the eleventh floor of Summerset Tower. After checking to make sure nopony was around to look at her, she climbed further up the building, beating her wings to make sure she didn't fall off. She made quick glances on every floor, looking for Summerset, until she bumped her head on a balcony on the seventeenth floor. There were two voices audible on the topside. Daring stopped to eavesdrop, hanging upside down from the balcony like a fly on the wall.

"The guard from downstairs told me another group of ponies wanted to enter the building." said Mr. Red. "Probably tourists."

"Then my guards are doing their job." said Lionel Summerset. "I can't stress enough how much I hate being disturbed during times like these."

"Glad we do what we can, sir." said Mr. Red. "Anything else you need?"

"Yes, I want you to let me know if Ms. Yearling ever comes this way." said Summerset. "I can't afford to have somepony like her snooping around my building."

"What should I do if she does?" asked Mr. Red.

"If she tries it once, turn her away with a warning." said Summerset. "If she does it again, break one of her wings. If she brings friends, eliminate them and hide the bodies."

"Don't you think that's a little excessive?" asked Mr. Red. "I mean she's just a writer! What harm could she do to your organization?"

"Even if you read all of her books, you would be surprised." said Mr. Summerset. "Daring Do is a resourceful mare, both on and off the pages."

Daring Do's eyes widened.

"So he does know my secret, after all!" she thought.

"Off the pages, sir?" said Mr. Red.

"That's right! And it's only a matter of time before she finds out why I want those artifacts, Maximum Velocity." said Summerset. "If I want to rule Las Pegasus my way, I can't afford any slip-ups."

"I understand, boss." said Mr. Red. "I'll tell the others to watch out for her then."

"You do that." said Mr. Summerset. "And I have more arrangements to make for my casino."

When the sound of hooves trotting back into the building faded away, Daring Do detached herself from the balcony, and flew away as fast as she could. Suddenly, a bluish-green blur sped towards her from out of nowhere, and another pegasus mare collided with her.

"Watch where you're flying!" said Lightning Dust, angrily.

"Watch where you're flying!" said Daring Do.

Lightning Dust took a moment to look at what the other pegasus was wearing.

"Hang on!" said Lightning Dust. "You're coming with me!"

Daring Do shot away, but Lightning Dust went after her.

"Stop! Burglar!" Lightning yelled. "You better get back here, or I'm placing you under arrest! You'll get in big trouble for this! I'm one of Princess Luna's Shadowbolts!"

She sped even faster, and tackled her in mid-air. They both crashed into the rooftop of a nearby skyscraper, wrestling each other as they went.

"Let me go!" Daring shouted. "I'm not a thief!"

"Then why were ya wearin' that get-up?" asked Lightning. "They sure ain't any mountains to climb around here!"

Daring Do removed her balaclava, revealing her face. She made a dramatic pose.

"So who are you?" asked Lightning Dust.

Daring's eyes dilated in surprise.

"You...really don't know who I am?" asked Daring Do.

"Can't say I do." said Lightning Dust, shrugging.

"I don't even look the least bit familiar to you?" said Daring, in a dry tone.

"Well, you kinda look like this pegasus I know named Rainbow Dash." said Lightning. "But there's no way you're her. You're way older than her, and your coat and mane aren't anywhere as colorful as hers."

"Wait a minute, so you know who Rainbow Dash is, huh?" asked Daring Do. "Because I know her. She once helped me out during one of my adventures."

"You're an adventurer?" asked Lightning Dust.

"Yep, and one of the most famous in Equestria. I'm Do, Daring Do."

"Never heard of you, ma'am." said Lightning.

"But I have a whole series of books written about me and my adventures!" said Daring Do. "Are you seriously telling me you've never read--never mind. The point is that it looks like I might need a little help with something."

"Like what, ma'am?" asked Lightning.

"Look, I'll explain later." said Daring Do. "There's something going on in this town, involving a Mr.--"

"Lionel Summerset!" said Lightning and Daring at once. "You know about him, too?"

"Yeah, Princess Celestia told me about this guy." said Lightning. "And I think that he might mean trouble for a friend of mine who's visiting this town."

"And he sure does mean trouble." said Daring Do. "I think I might need a little back-up. You think you can do that, kid?"

"The name's Lightning Dust. And I guess I can. Just name the time and place."

"Ten o'clock tonight." said Daring Do. "At a place called the Summerset Casino."

A Night in Las Pegasus

Later that night, Sunset Shimmer and Radiant Dawn accompanied Quick Shot to the Applewood district of Las Pegasus, where all the film studios and movie theatres were found. For the occasion, Radiant Dawn had trimmed the untamed bristles of orange hair from his chin and upper lip, and was wearing a bright fuchsia pastel suit with bronze sunglasses, and Sunset Shimmer was wearing a bright shiny purple dress covered with glitter, which reminded her of a dress she once wore for one of the Fall Formals at Canterlot High.

"You look great, Sunny." Radiant said to Sunset as they rode in the taxi.

"You look really good too, bro." said Sunset. "In fact, you look absolutely handsome."

"I know, right?" said Radiant. "I just wish Lightning Dust was here. I think she'd go crazy for me if she saw me now."

They made it to the premiere, which was crowding with ponyfolk from all over Equestria. There were even reporters present, interviewing members of the movie's cast and crew. When the paparazzi noticed Quick Shot, they swarmed him, pelting him with questions and taking snapshots of him at every opportunity.

"Please! I'm afraid I can't take your questions right now!" said Quick Shot. "You'll have to wait till the movie's over! I can guarantee, though, that you're all going to love it! Miss Shimmer and Mr. Dawn, are you two ready?"

"I'd might as well be, since you're the one that brought us here." said Sunset.

"That's the spirit!" said Quick Shot.

"Man, I ain't been at a casino since I was in Baltimare!" said Frosty. "I used ta play the slots all the time when I was Sunset's age."

"We're going to need to get ourselves some decent clothes." said Scarlet. "There's no way you two are ever going to be accepted into that place looking like you do now. Especially Nose Nip."

"Why?" asked Nose Nip, looking at his overalls and t-shirt.

"Never mind." said Scarlet. "We need a place to get us some decent outfits, and we need to do it now!"

Scarlet Blaze, Frosty, and Nose Nip arrived at a fashion boutique called Suri's Suits.

"Welcome to my shop, ma'am and sirs!" said Suri Polomare, who was wearing a very forced-looking smile. "If you came for the best threads in Las Pegasus, then you've come to the right place!"

"Just give me something green." said Scarlet Blaze. "Maybe a little old-fashioned, too."

"Oh, I can see it now!" said Suri. "Maybe put a little gold around the collar, too! Of course, I can make it happen! Would you like a tiara, too?"

"No." said Scarlet. "I just want a dress and that's it."

"And what would these fine gentlecolts like?" asked Suri Polomare.

"I don't know, I'm...I don't really have much of a fashion sense." said Nose Nip.

"Oh, I love your accent!" said Suri. "Maybe something thick and tough! Maybe blue and furry, too!"

"And I'd like ta wear somethin' flashy and smooth!" said Frosty. "Gimme the brightest pastel suit ya got!"

"Oh, that would make you look soooo dreamy!" said Suri. "All the mares will love you! Okay, I'll be right back! I just have to tell my assistants what you three want, and they'll get your outfits in no time!"

"Yeah, whatever." Frosty muttered under his breath.

Then Suri came back with two unicorn assistants, who measured the three, and put their new outfits on them.

"Oh, you're all looking so swell!" said Suri, smiling. "Especially you, little man."

Frosty looked at her unamused.

"Oh, and I think you should have this, too!" said Suri, who started to try putting a hat on him.

"Hey! Oy!" said Frosty, trying to fight Suri off of him. "Get away from me, ya meshuggeneh!"

Frosty used his telekinesis to shoot the hat away. Scarlet quickly paid Suri, and led her companions out of the building.

"What did you say to her? asked Nose Nip. "Shama-whatsit?"

"He said 'Meshuggeneh'." said Scarlet. "It means 'crazy lady'."

"How do you know that?" asked Frosty.

"Because when I was a filly, my grandfather used to say it all the time." said Scarlet. "You could say he was a real schlemiel."

"Wait a minute, so you're--" said Frosty.

"Yep. Born and raised!" said Scarlet, smiling.

"Get outta here!" said Frosty, jokingly.

"No, I'm serious!" said Scarlet. "Don't expect me to do that nasty throat thing, though."

Scarlet Blaze and Frosty both laughed, while Nose Nip just looked at them cluelessly.

"I don't get it." he said.

Daring Do and Lightning Dust were at the main entrance of the Summerset Casino, at the back of a crowd of gamblers and assorted party-goers. They were both wearing sleek black dresses, and Daring even wore her mane up for the occasion.

"Okay, I'm going to go into that building and try to dig up some dirt on Summerset's plans." said Daring Do. "When I find proof, that's when you arrest him."

"Got it, Daring." said Lightning.

When the line cleared, the two pegasus mares went in and quickly melded into the crowd of guests in the vast foyer of the Summerset Casino, which was vast and cavernous to host the Grand Galloping Gala inside. At the bottom of a staircase at the far end was Lionel Summerset himself, flanked by two pegasus bodyguards.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, my name is Lionel Summerset, proud stallion from Saddle Arabia and humble citizen of Equestria. I bid you all welcome to my new and fabulous casino." said Mr. Summerset. "The Summerset Casino is of course not my first contribution to Las Pegasus, nor will it be my last. Though I may not have been born here, I love this city more than I do the rest of Equestria, so consider this building--as well as every bit, chip, or whatever other prize you win while you're here--my gift to you, the wonderful citizens of this glamorous metropolis! We have many games and activities in every room on the casino's first floor for whatever suits your interest: Cards, Bingo, slots, and of course, Pool. We also have live entertainment from all over Equestria, and a well-stocked bar at the far end over there. Enjoy your time, and may everypony here be a winner tonight!"

The crowd applauded loudly, and gradually moved on to the card tables, pool tables, slot machines, and other activities in the casino.

"Remember, Lightning." said Daring Do. "Act natural. I'm zooming in on the big cheese."

"Ten-Four." nodded Lightning.

Trixie and Teddy were sitting at the casino's bar.

"Feeling excited about being here, Trixie?" asked Teddy.

"I sure am!" said Trixie. "I just can't wait to show my dad how much my magic skills have improved! I even have half a mind to upstage him the moment he puts on his little magic act!"

She grinned mischievously and snickered.

"Oooohhh-kay." said Teddy.

His ear twitched at a noise close-by.

"Dude, I just heard a pinball machine!" said Teddy. "See ya later, Trix!"

He was about to leave, when Trixie suddenly pulled him back with her telekinesis.

"No! You stay here!" said Trixie. "The Great and Powerful Trixie will require your assistance!"

"Um...okay." said Teddy, reluctantly.

Trixie called the bartender over to her.

"What would the lady like?" he asked.

"I shall have a chocolate and peanut butter milkshake." said Trixie. "And get my boyfriend a glass of lemonade on the rocks."

"Of course, ma'am." said the bartender.

Teddy anxiously leaned over and whispered into Trixie's ear.

"Boyfriend?!" he whispered nervously.

"That's right." said Trixie. "As long as we're here, you're going to pretend to be my assistant and my boyfriend. It's to show my father that I'm a successful showpony with a healthy lifestyle!"

"But you're not really my t--" said Teddy, who was interrupted by Trixie growling at him. "Okay, I'll be your boyfriend!"

"Good boy!" said Trixie, who patted Teddy on the head, and then pretended to nuzzle against him in a perky manner.

Sunset Shimmer and Radiant Dawn were sitting in the movie theatre, watching an action scene that was filmed in Daystar Manor's living room. In the movie, three gas mask-wearing gryphons were attacking the protagonist and hurling furniture at him. Chairs and tables were hurled through the air and splintered against the wall.

"Wow, they sure paid no expense in wrecking our home, huh?" whispered Sunset.

"Nah, they bought extra furniture for that scene." Radiant whispered back. "Plus, our home's insured...I think."

"Oh! Here's the part that I helped write!" said Sunset.

The protagonist of the movie galloped swiftly up the wall, jumped off, and landed on one of the gryphons. As he mounted the gryphon, he bucked another gryphon that tried to grab him, and then jumped onto the third, and then struck him three times in the head, knocking him unconscious. Then the first gryphon rushed at him, only for the protagonist to leap into the air, causing the gryphon to crash into the wall. The protagonist made several flips in the air, then landed on his front hooves, juggling the second gryphon, who tried intercepting him again, with his back hooves, and then kicked him into the first gryphon. And then he flipped back up and made a dramatic pose.

"Nice!" said Radiant.

"Scarlet, what are we supposed to do again?" asked Nose Nip, once the trio entered the Summerset Casino.

"We need to find where Summerset's office is, and then ask him about the artifacts." said Scarlet.

"And what are we supposed to do until then?" asked Frosty.

"I don't know, just act natural." said Scarlet. "I have no idea who Summerset is, but he might not take kindly to visitors snooping around. Let's wait till he shows up, and go and talk to him."

"Okay." said Nose Nip. "I'm gonna hit the buffet table!"

"Me, too." said Frosty. "We haven't really had a decent meal since Vanhoover."

Then the two stallions went there, and Scarlet decided to visit a blackjack table.

"Six! Ace Spades wins!" said a tall bearded stallion at the table.

The card players exchanged chips, and left the table. Though she had never seen Summerset before, Scarlet had reason to believe that the stallion was him. She decided to speak to him.

"Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be--" Scarlet began.

"Hey, Summerset!" said a mare's voice.

A brown pegasus with a charcoal mane and tail approached the tall stallion.

"Ah, Ms. Yearling." said Summerset. "Good evening. And welcome to my casino!"

"I challenge you to a game of cards!" said A.K. Yearling.

A few nearby guests stopped chattering with each other, and crowded around the table.

"And what stakes shall we set?" asked Summerset.

"If I win, you answer every question I ask you." said Yearling. "If you win, you get every bit I have with me."

She placed a bag of gold and silver on the table, and then took a seat.

"You're on, Ms. Yearling." smiled Mr. Summerset, taking a seat himself.

At the Summerset Casino

"Fillies and gentlecolts! Citizens of Las Pegasus!" said an earth pony standing on a stage at the western end of the casino. "And now for the first act of our live entertainment, the Summerset Casino is proud to give you....the Supreme! The Mystical! Artemis!"

There was a flash of light, and a mustachioed unicorn stallion appeared on the stage, wearing a dark blue cape and a top hat.

"Greeting and salutations, everypony!" said Artemis. "I am proud to be here, at the glorious Summerset Casino. Do the rest of you feel the same?"

The crowd of ponies cheered in agreement.

"Well, then without further ado, let the show begin!" said Artemis.

He took off his hat, revealing his horn, which glowed.

"And now, I'm going to pull a rabbit out of my hat!" said Artemis.

He reached a hoof into his hat, and pulled out a rabbit...which was being held by two yellow hooves.

"Angel, you get back here!" said a soft and barely audible voice inside the hat.

"Oops, it looks like I picked up a stowaway!" said Artemis, surprised. "Back in you go!"

And then he let the rabbit back into the hat, while the audience laughed joyfully.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Artemis grinned devilishly. "Now for my next trick, I'm going to make myself disappear!"

He set his hat on the ground and then covered himself in his cape, while members of the audience started to clamor. All of a sudden, the cape collapsed to the ground, and Artemis was nowhere in sight. Several ponies gasped. But the gasps ceased abruptly when Artemis suddenly climbed his way out of his hat, despite the fact that it was several times too small for him. The audience applauded even louder than before.

"Darn it, he's good!" growled Trixie, who was in the audience with Teddy.

"How are you gonna upstage somepony like that?" asked Teddy.

"Don't you worry, I've got a plan." said Trixie.

ONE HOUR LATER...

Radiant Dawn and Sunset Shimmer left the movie theatre.

"So, what'd you think of the movie?" asked Radiant.

"I'm surprised!" said Sunset. "It was very good! I mean, I thought I wouldn't like it at all, but I was on the edge of my seat by the end of the movie! I just wish it wasn't so short. I mean it was only seventy minutes long!"

"I know what you mean." said Radiant. "They really could've taken another five minutes to make that ending seem less rushed...and less stupid, for that matter. That's my only complaint: The ending was dumb and made no sense."

"I know what you mean." said Sunset. "But hopefully they'll explain why it happened that way in the sequel!"

"Yeah, we just have to wait a whole other year for that sequel to come out!" said Radiant. "I could easily write an entire book--maybe even two--about what I think happened next by the time that sequel actually comes out."

"Well, good luck with that." said Sunset. "Still, I like that they put a dedication to us at the end: 'Special thanks go to Sunset Shimmer and the Daystar family, who helped make this film possible'. Now wasn't that nice?"

"Yeah, I guess it was." said Radiant. "So, do you wanna go check out that casino?"

"I don't see why not." said Sunset Shimmer. "Maybe Trixie and Teddy will already have met Trixie's dad!"

"Well, I'm gonna hail a cab!" said Radiant Dawn.

Nose Nip and Frosty were chugging down milkshakes at the bar. Frosty had six drinks, but Nose Nip had nine.

"Nips, ya gotta slow down!" said Frosty.

"No, you...you gotta stop!" Nose Nip said. "I'm a big guy! I can take anything these milkshakes can..."

His bowels shifted.

"Bathroom!" he said, bolting out of his seat. "I gotta find the bathroom!"

"Ha! I win!" said Frosty.

"Frosty, is that you?" said a familiar voice.

Frosty turned around to see who was speaking. It was Lightning Dust.

"Hey, Lightnin' Dust!" said Frosty. "Long time, no see!"

"What're you doing here, Frosty?" asked Lightning.

"Oh, me and Nips got dragged here by your best friend's mama." Frosty explained. "She's looking around for the guy that runs this joint!"

Frosty burped.

"And I hope she finds him soon. These milkshakes need more flavors! I'm gettin' sick of vanilla!"

"Where's Nose Nip, though?" asked Lightning.

"Oh, he ran to the bathroom." said Frosty.

"Tell me, have you seen Sunset Shimmer anywhere?" asked Lightning.

"No." said Frosty. "Me, Nips, and Scarlet went here on our own. Besides, I thought Sunset was still in Canterlot."

"Well, she was, but then she went here for a vacation." said Lightning.

"Lucky her!" said Frosty. "I wish I could be here on vacation, but instead I'm standin' around waiting for Scarlet to tell me what ta do!"

"You don't get it, though!" said Lightning. "Sunset might be in serious trouble! This Summerset guy's not what he seems!"

"This whole city ain't what it seems!" said Frosty. "You think you can have a good time in this town, but nope! Not at all! It's all just trouble and even utter doom at every corner!"

"What the heck are you talking about?" said Lightning.

"I don't know!" laughed Frosty. "I think all these milkshakes are makin' me hysterical! Then what isn't these days?"

Lightning seized Frosty to set him straight.

"Listen, if you see Sunset Shimmer anywhere, tell her to stay as far away from Summerset as possible!" said Lightning. "Do you understand me?"

"Okay, okay!" Frosty shouted. "Just cool yer jets, woman! You know, I wonder what Scarlet's doing, anyway."

"Nineteen!" said Lionel Summerset. "Congratulations, Ms. Yearling. You have won! You and I have played the best card game I have seen in a long time. Very well, if you'll follow me to my office, I'll be glad to answer your questions."

"Wait!" said Scarlet Blaze, rushing over to them. "I want to speak with you, too."

"I'm so sorry, madam." said Summerset without even looking at Scarlet. "But I have some catching up to do with my friend here."

"No!" said Scarlet, stomping a hoof. "It's important that I speak with you now!"

"Ma'am, please con--" said Summerset, turning his head.

He paused when he saw Scarlet.

"Hmm...very well." he said. "You may come along, too. Follow me."

"Thank you!" said Scarlet.

Lionel Summerset, A.K. Yearling, and Scarlet Blaze went up the stairs until they came to a door flanked by what looked like metal detectors. The three of them went inside, but as Scarlet crossed the devices, she felt a surge inside her horn, and then numbness.

"What...happened?" Scarlet asked.

"I hope you don't mind, ma'am..." said Lionel Summerset. "But I have a protective field placed on my office, and it disables unicorn magic. Don't worry, though; it's only temporary. Once you're back outside, you can use your magic all you want."

"Really." said Scarlet.

"Yes, you see I've had a few close calls with unicorns and other magic users in the past, and would prefer not to take further risks." said Summerset.

"Well, I suppose ten minutes or so of no magic won't kill me." said Scarlet.

"Now, since you seem so eager to talk with me, I think I will start with you first." said Summerset. "If you don't mind, Ms. Yearling."

"No, of course not." said Yearling. "I'll wait outside for you."

Then she left the office.

"Hmm...your tallness astounds me." said Summerset. "You have Saddle Arabian blood in you. A rare sight, indeed, for a unicorn."

"Yes, I get that a lot actually." said Scarlet.

"So, what can I do for a lovely mare like you?" asked Summerset.

"My name is Blaze. Scarlet Blaze." said Scarlet. "And I believe that not too long ago, you purchased artifacts from the University of Baltimare. Artifacts that once belonged to my husband, who used to be a professor there."

"And this professor would be?" asked Summerset.

"Golden Sun." said Scarlet.

"Ah, Professor Sun!" said Summerset. "You know, he was a very good friend of mine, before his unfortunate disappearance."

"Really." said Scarlet. "How come I never met or heard of you before?"

"Because unfortunately, my sophisticated career prevents me from making cross-country visits to colleagues as frequently as I desire." said Summerset. "But I do understand that you and Professor Sun had a daughter, correct?"

"Yes, and a son." said Scarlet.

"Two children, then." said Summerset. "To think that they both had to go fifteen years straight without their parents. If it weren't for my devotion to Las Pegasus, I would have gladly gone to Vanhoover to adopt them myself."

"You would?" asked Scarlet.

"Yes! Professor Sun was one of my closest friends in all of Equestria. So it would've been so much to me if I had the chance to raise his children as my own!"

"...So you could use their magic, no doubt." said Scarlet.

"Possibly, possibly." said Summerset. "But it would've been for a great cause! I could've shaped them both into model citizens! They could have done wonders here in this wonderful city!"

Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"But that reminds me, whatever happened to you and your husband? Why did you disappear for so long?"

"Well, because something very unfortunate came up." Scarlet Blaze explained. "We were attacked by Changelings in our own home."

"Changelings? Hmm..." said Summerset. "So, did the Changelings take you and your husband captive?"

"No." said Scarlet. "While we were fending them off, my husband tried casting a spell, but one of the Changelings deflected it, and it hit me instead. Next thing I knew, I was outside our home, fifteen years in the future."

"So, you don't know where your husband is, then?" asked Summerset.

"No." said Scarlet. "And that's why I came all the way to you, here in Las Pegasus, to see if one of the artifacts you purchased could reunite me with him."

Summerset sat there silently for a moment.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that your plan would work." said Summerset.

"Why not?"

"Because I need every resource I have with me."

"Then can you at least let me know why?"

"I could tell you." said Lionel, frowning. "But then there would be...trouble between the two of us."

"Believe me, there will be trouble if you don't give me a straight answer, Summerset." glared Scarlet. "Just tell me what you can, and I'll be on my way back home."

"I can't even do that." said Lionel. "There is no version of this conversation where I tell you what you want to know that doesn't end with something...particularly painful happening to one of us. And I think it's obvious who it would be in this particular scenario, given how many guards I have in this building."

"Ah, you're right." said Scarlet, sighing. "I guess I'm a little delirious from the cider."

"Speaking of which, if you were to come work for me, maybe we could come to a much better understanding." suggested Summerset. "It would be a delight to work alongside one of my own country-folk...for a change."

"No, thanks." said Scarlet. "I already have a job, and that's to find my husband, whether he's alive or not."

"Then it looks like our minds are made up, ma'am." said Summerset.

Mr. Yellow approached Mr. Blue and Mr. Red in the lobby of Summerset Tower.

"I just found out from a couple ponies that Sunset Shimmer's been spotted in this town!" he told them.

"Are you sure?" asked Mr. Red.

"I am." said Mr. Yellow. "She apparently went to the premiere of Quick Shot's movie, which ended a few minutes ago. Since the boss wants Sunset more than anything, I think we ought to track her down and find her."

"Sounds like a plan." said Mr. Blue. "If my instincts mean anything, she'll probably be en route to the casino."

Battle of the Summerset Casino

"And now, I shall ask for somepony in the audience to be my volunteer!" said Artemis. "Come now, don't be shy!"

Suddenly, a puff of smoke covered the far side of the stage.

"Ponyfolk of Las Pegasus!" shouted a female voice. "Feast your eyes on what shall undoubtedly be the greatest display of magic you shall ever see in this town or any other! Behold the talents--" the smoke started to clear. "--of the Great and Powerful--" the smoke cleared, revealing the speaker. "--Trrrrixie!"

Several members of the audience gasped.

"Ah! Daughter?!" said Artemis in surprised. "Er--I mean, who is this 'Great and Powerful Trixie' who dares intrude upon my magic show?!"

"I've stood in your shadow long enough, pops!" said Trixie. "I'm gonna make a name for myself right here and now!"

"Oh, so is this a challenge?" asked Artemis.

"You bet!" said Trixie.

"Then may we have a magic duel, right here in front of my loving audience!" said Artemis.

"Bring it on, old man!" said Trixie.

A.K. Yearling was sitting at a table in the casino, waiting for Mr. Summerset's meeting with Scarlet Blaze to end. She watched the other guests playing card games with each other at the tables, having drinks at the bar, and chattering with each other. An earth pony waitress came up to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" she said. "Would you care for something to drink as you wait?"

"Yes, give me a sasparilla." said Yearling. "On the rocks."

"Right away, ma'am." the waitress said, and then left.

She returned a few seconds later.

"Enjoy your drink, please!" she said.

The main entrance to the casino opened, and Mr. Blue, Mr. Red, and Mr. Yellow entered.

"You two wait by the stage." said Mr. Blue. "I'll be at the poker tables."

Mr. Blue passed the tables by, making quick glances here and there to see if Sunset Shimmer already made it there. Sooner or later, he noticed A.K. Yearling having a drink at the one closest to the stairs that led upstairs. He went around the other tables so that he could sneak up behind her, his horn glowing.

"Man, what's taking Nips so long?" Lightning Dust inquired to Frosty.

"I have no idea." Frosty responded. "We were just having a milkshake-drinking contest, when--"

"Hang on!" said Lightning, putting a hoof on Frosty's mouth and looking at the poker tables.

She saw A.K. Yearling, or Daring Do as she already knew her, drinking a sasparilla, and a male unicorn slowly sneaking up on her from behind. She recognized that unicorn as the same one she encountered at the museum in Manehatten. She peered closer, and saw his horn was glowing rather brightly.

"Watch out!" Lightning shouted, launching herself into the air at breakneck speed.

She shot straight over the tables, ruining many card games and knocking over drinks as she went, and tackled Mr. Blue to the ground. The two were rolling under the tables, but Mr. Blue managed to kick Lightning away and get back up. Yearling turned around in surprise, then was suddenly blasted by a spell from Mr. Blue's horn before she could recognize the caster. She was knocked up the stairs, unconscious.

"That's it, you're going down!" said Lightning.

"I don't think so, sergeant." said Mr. Blue, who put up a hoof to whistle.

Artemis finished his trick, which involved him opening up a portion of a curtain on the stage then running behind it while producing an optical illusion that made it seem like he was running back out the right side whenever he went left again and again.

"Try and top that one, Trixie m'dear." he said to his daughter.

"Oh, I thought you would never ask." said Trixie. "And now for my next trick....I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, shall transform myself into a stallion!"

The audience gasped.

"Trixie, you must be bluffing!" said Artemis. "Not even I can do a spell like that!"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie never bluffs...well, not anymore!" said Trixie.

Then there was a flash of light, and where the blue mare stood was a blue stallion wearing the same pointed wizard's hat and cape Trixie was wearing. He stood there and made a dramatic pose with his front hooves pointed up. The whole audience applauded in surprise.

"Well..." said Artemis. "You win this round, daughter...son..."

Suddenly, Mr. Red and Mr. Yellow emerged from the audience and rushed to the poker tables. Trixie the stallion watched, distracted, when he suddenly lost balance and fell over on the stage. His hat fell off, revealing his red mohawk. Without checking to see if anyone was looking in his direction, Teddy scrambled back behind the curtains and pushed Trixie back out.

"Ah-ha!" said Artemis. "Nice try, daughter! But I'm afraid that just won't cut it!"

Trixie swore under her breath at her ruse being compromised.

"What the buck is going on over there, anyway?" said Trixie, looking to see where Mr. Red and Mr. Yellow went.

She saw a fight break out over the tables, and Lightning Dust was fighting off three stallions at once. She gasped, then galloped off the stage to assist Lightning. Teddy tried sneaking off the stage, still wearing Trixie's cape, when he noticed Artemis still looking at him.

"Um...hi." said Teddy, waving a hoof sheepishly, before bolting and disappearing into the surprised audience.

Artemis just stood there confused.

"What in the hoof is that noise?" wondered Scarlet, hearing a series of crashing noises from downstairs.

"Miss Blaze, I would recommend staying in here, if you don't mind." said Mr. Summerset.

Scarlet opened the door and looked outside. She saw A.K. Yearling lying unconscious against the wall, and gasped.

"Is she alright--?" Scarlet said, before suddenly being pulled back into the room by Summerset.

"I'm sorry, but I must insist that you stay in here, so that we can discuss this like two civilized ponyfolk." said Summerset.

"Like heck we will!" Scarlet tried to break free.

She was going to try and cast a spell to break the door down, but then she remembered that there was an anti-magic field placed on the office. Instead, she struck Summerset in the head, threw herself against the wall, and turned around.

"Something tells me your intentions aren't as good as you've been leading everypony to believe!" said Scarlet. "And I bet you know something about my husband that I don't!"

"If I did, I wouldn't be the one to tell you." said Summerset.

"Wanna bet?" said Scarlet.

"So you're going to fight me?" said Summerset. "I must warn you, I have learned since I was a colt how to fight like the great Saddle Arabian paladins of yore."

Scarlet stood up on her back legs, and struck a martial arts-esque pose.

"So have I." she said.

Summerset did the same, and then the two started punching, wrestling, and kicking each other around the office.

Lightning Dust was wrestling with Mr. Blue, before being grabbed and pulled away by Mr. Yellow. A blast of purple electricity struck Mr. Yellow in the back, causing him to let go of Lightning.

"Stay away from my friend!" yelled Trixie.

Mr. Yellow got back up and charged towards Trixie and tackled her. The two wrestled on the ground, knocking tables over and sending guests fleeing in a panic as Trixie's spells shot in every direction. One spell struck an overhanging chandelier, causing all of its candles to shoot through the air in a cluster of fireworks. The gaming area was engulfed in utter chaos.

"This is for ruining my performance!" Trixie shouted as she repeatedly hit Mr. Yellow in the face.

Teddy rushed over to assist Trixie and Lightning Dust, only to be stopped by Mr. Red.

"Don't make me hurt you!" said Teddy, raising his front hooves in a threatening manner. "I mean it! I'll give you the biggest whooping of your--"

But Mr. Red hoof-punched Teddy in the face.--

92

--then the chest.--

81

--then grabbed a pool cue and jabbed him with it, before whacking him on the head with the thick end.--

66

--then he slapped Teddy in the face several times with his wings.--

45

--then hit him on the chin with his elbow.--

34

--and then finished by flying around Teddy, grabbing by the tail, spinning him round and round, and then throwing him into a nearby slot machine, causing gold coins to rain down on him.--

1

Then when the last coin hit Teddy on the head, he finally lost consciousness.

0

"Game Over." said Mr. Red. "Would you like to continue?"

"Continue this!" shouted Daring Do, who had regained consciousness and decided to join the fight by ramming into Mr. Red.

Sunset Shimmer and Radiant Dawn were riding in the taxi on the way to the Summerset Casino. They both felt the cool night air blowing in their manes as the cab sped down the road.

"Red, you and I are having the time of our lives!" said Sunset.

"We sure are, Sunny!" said Radiant.

The taxi made it to the casino, where Radiant and Sunset got out and paid their fee to the pony that pulled the taxi.

"Let's see if this place is as good as everypony made it out to be." said Sunset.

Suddenly, one of the windows was shattered by a magic blast and a terrified scream was audible.

"Eeyup." said the two Sun Siblings at once, who galloped up to the main entrance.

Frosty found himself hanging for dear life from a roulette table that was being thrown around the casino in a telekinetic tug-of-war between Trixie and Mr. Blue.

"Somepony...anypony!" he screamed. "Get! Me! Offa! Dis! THIIIIIIINNNNNNGGG!"

Nose Nip came back, still kicking off a square of toilet paper from his back hoof.

"Boy, those milkshakes really get me..." he began, when he suddenly noticed how the casino was in shambles. "Oh, come on! What the buck did I miss this time?!"

The crowd in the casino was clearing out quickly. But Artemis was still on the stage.

"Worry not, everypony!" he said over the noise. "I will see to it that this chaos is subdued! For I am the Supreme and Mystical--"

Suddenly, Frosty's roulette table was sent spiraling towards him, and he made a very panicked yelp. Just before it would hit him, Nose Nip leapt onto the stage and grabbed it with his front hooves. Frosty got off, totally dazed and wandered towards a nearby trash can to puke into it.

"'Dis is why ya shouldn't trust roulettes." he muttered under his breath after cleaning the vomit from his mouth.

Meanwhile, Artemis approached Nose Nip.

"Your assistance is much appreciated." he told him. "If there's anything you need--"

"What?!" said Nose Nip. "Look, just get out of here before you get hurt. Get the guests out of here, too."

"As you wish." said Artemis, making a smarmy grin. "But I would like to know your name, my friend."

"Nose Nip, will ya quit messin' around and get ovuh he'e?!" Frosty shouted, as he found himself dueling Mr. Blue. "I need some muscle!"

Nose Nip galloped away from Artemis as fast as he could, rushing to his friend's aid.

Lightning Dust and Daring Do exchanged adversaries, with Daring Do taking on Mr. Yellow and Lightning fighting Mr. Red.

Up the stairs, the door to Summerset's office splintered apart, and Scarlet and Summerset spilled into the upstairs hallway. Now free to use her magic, she shot orange blasts by the cluster at Summerset, who simply evaded her, knocked her aside, then galloped down the stairs at a breakneck speed. He managed to avoid the tempest that was the battle going on in his casino and dove over Sunset Shimmer and Radiant Dawn's heads as they forced the front doors open. He disappeared into the darkness outside, but Sunset and Radiant were too distracted by what was going on inside to pay attention.

Scarlet ran down the stairs, shooting more magical blasts at whoever she believed to be responsible for the battle outside. Eventually, she came to the source of most of the magical destruction: Mr. Blue.

"Why don't you try me on for size, little man!" shouted Scarlet.

Then she fired a spell at Mr. Blue, who absorbed Scarlet's spell but a second too late. The cream-colored stallion was pushed back a few feet into a wall, and his sunglasses fell off his face, revealing his eyes, which were swirly and green, but occasionally appeared to shimmer back and forth between a familiar silvery-blue. Scarlet gasped.

"Sorry, but I think my boss is going to need me." said Mr. Blue, whose horn started to glow.

He triggered a massive concussive spell that caused every poker table within six yards of him to burst apart into splinters and knock everypony nearby off their hooves. He whistled for Mr. Red and Mr. Yellow to escape through the front doors amid the confusion. Then he galloped out himself just as Sunset and Radiant rushed over to the source of the big blast. He used his telekinesis to lift himself over their heads. As Sunset and Radiant turned around, they could see a rip in his suit that exposed what appeared to be a sun-shaped cutie mark.

"Was that who I think it was?" said Sunset in surprise.

"Yes, dear. It was."

Scarlet Blaze came up to them, accompanied by Trixie, Daring Do, Lightning Dust, Frosty, and Nose Nip (Teddy was still unconscious nearby), all visibly bruised by the conflict.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" asked Sunset.

"I'd like to ask you two the same question." said Scarlet. "But I think there's something more important: Kids, I think I just found...your father."

Sunset, Radiant, and everypony else present gasped in shock.

Escape from the Summset Casino

"I can't believe it!" said Sunset Shimmer.

"Neither can I, little sis." said Radiant Dawn.

"Hey, I'd hate ta interrupt your family dilemmas..." said Frosty. "But we betta scram from dis place, and fast!"

Sunset looked around, and saw that roughly half the casino was wrecked by the battle. Tables were destroyed or knocked over, slot machines were broken down, and cards, chips, and pool balls were scattered all over the floor. Then there was loud clamoring and long shadows against the walls as what seemed like thirty ponies in black suits and sunglasses swarmed the casino.

"Great, the security guards are here!" said Daring Do, who was helping the freshly-revived Teddy stand back up.

"And they don't look like they came for an explanation!" said Lightning Dust.

"None of you are going anywhere!" said one of the security guards. "Boys, let's get 'em!"

Then the guards rushed them from all sides. Frosty and Nose Nip leapt onto a nearby pool table. Nose Nip swatted at the thugs left and right with a pool cue, while Frosty telekinetically flung pool balls at everyone in sight. Trixie telekinetically threw tables around, scattering the thugs.

"We've got to find a way out of this place!" shouted Scarlet Blaze.

"Ha! I've got it!" yelled Sunset, pointing at a long table in the middle of the gaming area. "Everypony, follow me! Get on top of that table over there"

"With pleasure!" shouted Nose Nip over the sounds of battle.

He and Frosty jumped over the heads of the army of thugs and made it to the long table. Lightning Dust and Daring Do flew over, carrying Teddy as they went. The four unicorns unleashed a wave of bluish-green, purple, red, and orange magic against the thugs, and sprinted for the table. Once they were all on top of it, Sunset used her magic to levitate everyone--along with the table--into the air.

"Hang on!" yelled Sunset, as she launched the table through the window that was blasted open earlier.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!" screeched Frosty as the table plummeted to the ground below.

He closed his eyes, bracing for impact, and screamed on.

"Frosty, you can stop now!" said Nose Nip, patting him on the shoulder.

"What--why?" said Frosty.

Then he opened his eyes, and realized the table stopped falling a couple inches from the pavement, and that everyone had already gotten off.

"Ugh." he said, sheepishly. "Whatevuh."

When he got off the table and trotted around with his eyes closed and head turned up.

"I wasn't scared!" he said defiantly.

"Hey, Daring." said Lightning Dust. "Does anything even half that crazy happen in your books?"

"Yes, actually--" Daring Do began, before covering her mouth with her hoof.

"Wait a minute, Ms. Yearling." said Sunset. "You meant to tell me you're really Daring Do?"

"Look, I don't care if she's the Queen of Prance!" said Nose Nip. "I say we get the hoof outta here!"

A crowd was gathering around the front doors of the casino, and city guards were seen trying to get in to investigate the massive disturbance.

"Right!" said Sunset. "Let's get going!"

Sunset and her friends all fled the scene before anyone could notice them, and didn't stop until they came to a back-alley five blocks away. As they sat in the back-alley, recuperating from the battle and the subsequent escape, they all shared their disappointment over the night's events.

"You know, just once." said Sunset. "Just once, I'd like to go on vacation somewhere without something going horribly wrong. I mean it! I'm getting flashbacks to the Fall Formal right now!"

"To think I was so close to finding out what Summerset was up to!" said Daring Do. "Who knows if I'll ever find out now!"

"And I almost got to impress my father with my magic skills!" said Trixie. "So close! So close."

"What could've made Golden Sun, my own husband, do such a thing?" Scarlet wondered aloud.

"Ow! My head!" Teddy put a hoof on his sore face. "Where's Dr. Pressure Point when you need him?"

"Man, I knew we shoulda stayed in Vanhoover!" said Frosty. "At least the only thing we'd have ta deal with there is Gilda!"

Radiant Dawn and Lightning Dust, on the other hand, were delighted to see each other and cuddled while everyone else was depressed.

"C'mon!" said Lightning Dust to the others. "At least we've all got each other, right?"

"Yeah, Lightning's right!" agreed Radiant Dawn. "I'm sure we can put our heads together, and then we can all figure out something!"

"Like what?" asked Sunset. "We don't even know what happened!"

"Actually, I do." said Daring Do.

She explained to everyone who Lionel Summerset was, where he came from, and what she believed that he might be planning.

"So this guy's trying to take over this city, huh?" asked Sunset. "Well, we sure can't let that happen, now can we?"

"I knew he was a greedy supervillain!" exclaimed Nose Nip.

"But what perplexes me is why Professor Sun would be working for Summerset and helping him steal all these artifacts!" said Daring Do.

"Miss Do, I think I have a theory." said Sunset. "Maybe my dad got on the wrong side of a magical object and was brainwashed or corrupted somehow. Kinda similar to what happened to...um, me...a couple months ago."

"Must run in their family." Trixie whispered into Lightning's ear, and both mares chuckled.

"Anyway, where does this Summerset guy run everything?" asked Sunset. "I bet he's got some kind of building--"

"He does." said Daring Do. "It's called Summerset Tower, and it's on Corona Avenue."

"Then I say we charge in and shake this guy down!" said Frosty.

"He'll probably expect us to do that." said Scarlet.

"We could tell the royal guards what's going on!" said Radiant Dawn.

"Summerset's influence with this city's garrison will be too strong." said Daring Do. "They'll just be another obstacle."

"Then what are we supposed to do, walk up to them, say we're sorry for wrecking his joint, and just hope they'll give us back Sunset's dad?" asked Lightning Dust.

"Well...no." said Daring Do.

"Daring Do, do you have any ideas at all?" asked Sunset. "I mean you're the one that's always getting stuff--and yourself--out of dangerous places."

"Yes, but that's usually when I'm in the jungle or a desert." said Daring Do. "I'm afraid I'm totally rusty when it comes to dealing with an urban environment."

"But you snuck around Manehatten in the first act of 'Daring Do and the Storm Tower'!" said Sunset.

"That was different!" said Daring. "I wasn't dealing with a powerful figurehead like Lionel Summerset!"

"But you face big bad villains all the time in your books!" said Sunset. "And you didn't even need help, either! Even if you did need help, you're Daring Do! One of the bravest ponies that ever lived! If you weren't as resourceful as you made yourself to be, you wouldn't have gotten so much as the Sapphire Statue!"

Daring Do took a moment to pull herself together.

"You're right." she said. "You're wise beyond your years, Sunset Shimmer. But I'm afraid I still can't think of how we will be able to get to Summerset. His building was probably have thugs on every floor by the time we get there. And I've never actually been in that building before, so I don't know the layout for sneaking around!"

"I think we'll need back-up." said Scarlet. "Follow me. I know some ponies that could help us."

"Does this mean what I think it means?" asked Frosty.

Scarlet led everyone to a warehouse on the far side of Las Pegasus, which was guarded by two earth pony thugs.

"Hang on!" said one of the guards. "Who the heck are you, and what business do ya got with Mr. Steel--"

"Shh!" said the other guard. "Nobody's supposed to know Mr. Steel's here and---oh, shoot!"

"It's okay, boys." said Scarlet. "He and I have already met. I just want to ask your boss for a favor."

"You ain't with the city guards, are ya?" asked the first guard.

"No." said Scarlet.

"And you ain't with Summerset?" asked the second guard.

"Definitely not." said Scarlet, rolling her eyes.

"Well...what's their story?" the second guard asked Scarlet, pointing at the ponies behind her.

"It doesn't matter." said Scarlet. "Now let me in."

"Fine." said the first guard. "You can all come inside...but only the lady can see Mr. Steel."

They all went inside, where several other Iron Horses were talking with each other, either about how their visits to the casinos went, or about crimes they either committed or planned on committing. Most of them stopped to look at the newcomers, but none made an attempt to stop them. Scarlet went up the stairs, followed by Sunset, Radiant, and the others. They came to a door at the end of the hall, where one of the guards told them to wait as he went inside.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." said Daring Do.

"You wouldn't be the only one." said Trixie.

The guard came outside.

"Okay...um, Scarlet?" he said. "The boss will see ya now!"

"Thank you." said Scarlet Blaze.

She went through the door, and entered a darkly-lit office, where Mr. Steel was waiting for her.

"Ah! If it ain't my favorite redheaded mare!" he said, excitedly. "Please, take a seat, and tell me what I can do for ya."

Scarlet sat down and told him what she wanted of him.

"So, lemme get this straight: Ya mean ta wage war against Mr. Summerset?" asked Mr. Steel.

"That's right." said Scarlet Blaze. "He's holding my husband against his will, and I simply won't take this sitting down!"

"And you want my boys to help you?" asked Mr. Steel. "Toots, we're gangsters, not mercenaries. You want us to help, you gotta do something for us in return!"

"Fine." said Scarlet. "What do you have in mind?"

"Oh, you'll see." said Mr. Steel. "Once that Summerset weasel's outta the picture, I'll let you know what you and your buddies can do for us Iron Horses."

"Thank you, Steel." said Scarlet. "I appreciate this very much!"

"And I appreciate this too, ma'am." said Mr. Steel. "It's an honor to do business with a fiery redhead like you."

Scarlet left the office, and met her children and the others.

"So?" asked Frosty.

"He'll help us deal with Summerset." Scarlet told them all.

"Way to go, mom!" cheered Sunset, over the applause of her friends.

The Infiltration of Summerset Tower

Scarlet and Mr. Steel left the office, the latter turning to look at Sunset Shimmer and Radiant Dawn.

"Those your kids?" asked Mr. Steel.

"That's right." nodded Scarlet.

"Ha! So your whole family's full of redheads." he chuckled. "That's adorable. Well, I'm gonna leave you with your kids."

Then he went downstairs to talk to his employees.

"So, what're we gonna do?" asked Frosty.

"Well, even with the Iron Horses helping us, we won't be able to pull off an all-out attack on that building." said Daring Do. "We need to sneak our way in."

"And when we do, what will we do next?" asked Trixie.

"We need to find a way to learn just what Summerset plans to do with those artifacts." said Sunset. "Trixie, Lightning, and I will stage a meeting with him to try and get him to show us where they are. In case that doesn't work, Daring Do will simultaneously sneak her way around the building until she finds just where that place is."

"But I don't know the layout of the building!" said Daring Do.

"Then it's fortunate that I happen to have a pet bat waiting for me at the Golden Colt Hotel." said Sunset. "She can help you find your way around. Especially if there's any ventilation shafts to sneak around in."

"And what about Summerset's terrible trio?" asked Daring Do.

"Well, since one member of that terrible trio happens to be my husband..." said Scarlet. "I think it's only fitting that me and Radiant find a way to free him from whatever's controlling his mind."

"And how are you two gonna get in?" asked Frosty.

"You and Nose Nip will try and keep the guards at the front door busy, and take their place if necessary." said Sunset. "That way when Daring Do sends Bathilda back, my mom and brother will be able to get inside right away."

"Sunset, if you don't mind, could I maybe help your family with getting your father back to normal?" asked Teddy. "I feel really bad for you guys."

"Sure." said Radiant. "The more help, the merrier."

"But what about Summerset's army of thugs?" asked Teddy.

"I'll have the Iron Horses prepare to fight them when the time comes." said Scarlet.

"So are we all ready for this?" asked Sunset. "Because this plan goes into motion at noon!"

"We're ready!" said everyone at once.

In Saddle Arabia's capital city, the elderly sultan was pacing feverishly around his throne room. The doors opened, and one of his paladins galloped through.

"My lord, there has been a terrible incident!" he said, surprised. "A village fifty miles from here has been attacked!"

The sultan looked at his paladin.

"Silver Schmitar, explain!" he said.

"The reports from our scouts are vague, but it appears that nearly all the buildings were razed, and all the villagers are in some kind of deep trance. None of them are in any condition to tell us what happened!"

"Send word to our other cities!" said the sultan. "Scramble the other paladins! Expect another attack at any moment!"

"Yes, sir!" said Silver Schmitar.

Sunset Shimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, and Lightning Dust made it to Corona Avenue the following morning. They were all wearing sunglasses and clothing that concealed their cutie marks so that they wouldn't be identified. They were standing across the street from Summerset Tower, looking on with determination.

"Ready, girls?" asked Sunset.

"As ready as I'll ever be." said Lightning Dust.

The three quickly crossed the street and approached the main entrance, which was flanked by two pegasus guards in black suits and sunglasses.

"Welcome to Summerset Tower!" said one guard.

"We are representatives of the University of Baltimare." said Sunset. "We request a meeting with your employer."

"Go on in." said the other guard. "Just take a seat anywhere, and they'll buzz for you."

The three mares went through the doors and took seats in the lobby. It was eerily quiet and empty, apart from them. For a while, it seemed as though they were the only living beings in the entire building. In order to break the silence, Lightning Dust started to whistle the Fillydelphia anthem.

"So, remind me again:" said Trixie. "Why did you just have us go in through the front door?"

"We're gonna try and make an agreement with Summerset, remember?" said Sunset. "Now be quiet! He might have cameras watching our every move!"

"Right." said Trixie, quickly going back to sitting silently.

After what seemed like an hour, Lightning Dust ran out of songs to whistle and was getting bored.

"Okay, what the heck's taking them so long?" she said. "Does anyone even know we're here? Is anypony even here besides the three of us?"

"Let's be patient, girls." said Sunset.

"If something doesn't come up in the next two minutes, I'm--" Trixie began, before being interrupted by a loud buzzing noise.

"Mr. Summerset will see you now." said a voice on the loudspeakers. "Please take the elevator."

The elevator across the foyer from the main entrance opened, and Sunset and her friends got up from their seats. They went inside the elevator, which then went up to the top floor. They came out the elevator into a large office, where Mr. Summserset was waiting, sitting behind a desk.

"Please take a seat, ladies." he said to them.

Sunset, Trixie, and Lightning approached the desk and sat in the three chairs in front of it.

"So what can I do you ladies?" asked Summerset.

"We're representatives of the University of Baltimare." said Sunset. "We understand you like to collect ancient artifacts?"

"True." said Summerset.

"And we were hoping you could show us some of the items you have collected, so that we can catalogue them for research purposes?"

"Well, I don't see why not." said Mr. Summerset, getting out of his chair. "If you'd please follow me, I'll show you my private collection."

Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, and Lightning Dust followed Mr. Summerset into the elevator, which went to the 27th floor. The door opened to a cavernous floor with many objects on display. They followed Summerset around as he gave them a tour.

Daring Do, wearing her black leather suit and balaclava from before, was climbing up the side of Summerset Tower. Accompanying her was Sunset Shimmer's pet bat Bathilda. Daring had to be absolutely careful not to linger for too long on any floor, since guards would very easily spot her. She came up to the floor with the balcony, and crept through the curtains that divided it from the rest of the building. Apparently, it was a lounge area. The room had a hot tub, a mini-bar, and a few paintings on the walls. The door to the rest of the building was locked, but there were hoof-falls outside.

"We better hurry up." Daring told Bathilda.

Daring saw a ventilation shaft just over the doorway, opened it, then told Bathilda to fly in it. Daring managed to climb into just as the door to the lounge opened. The vents were dark, cold, and made of a very hard and reinforced aluminum. She took a flashlight off her belt, which illuminated the shaft she was in. She crawled through the vents for almost an hour, taking turns left and right, and up and down as she went. Whenever she was uncertain as to which way to go, she had Bathilda fly each way to see which were dead ends.

Eventually, she came to a vent duct that lead down into a girls' bathroom, where a mare that appeared to be a secretary was sitting on a toilet reading a magazine. Slowly, she opened the duct, climbed down, and knocked the secretary out with a hoof-punch to the cranium. Then she bound and gagged her, stripped her of her uniform, and left her in the stall. She turned to Bathilda.

"Nice workin' with ya." she said with a grin. "Now get back to your owner's family. I've got it covered from here."

Bathilda raised a claw in salute and flew back into the vent, even dropping the duct back in place.

Daring Do left the bathroom, and walked along the hallway until she found a map of the building. She saw that the 27th floor was labeled as "Classified". She made a quick smirk, knowing where she needed to go.

Frosty, dressed like a pizza delivery boy, approached the front doors of the Summerset Tower.

"Welcome to Summerset Tower." said one of the guards.

"Yeah, uh did ya guys order two dozen cheese pizzas?" Frosty asked, pointing his hoof at the coach behind him. "That'll be eighty-six bits and fifty cents!"

"Nopony ordered pizzas, sir." said the second pegasus guard.

"And how do you know that, smart guy?" said Frosty. "That's a pretty big buildin' ya guys got there! Anypony in that building could've ordered these pizzas!"

"But nopony ordered two dozen cheese pizzas!" said the first guard. "So go away!"

Nose Nip came up, wearing a delivery uniform.

"I've got a shipment of microwaves for your building!" he said.

"We don't need any microwaves!" said the second guard. "Ours are working just fine!"

"That's not what your boss told my company!" said Nose Nip, holding up a clipboard. "I need somepony to pay for this shipment! It cost a lot of money to get it all over here, and there's no way in Tartarus that I'm going back to my boss with an unsold shipment!"

"Okay, fine." said the first guard. "We'll check out that shipment, and if it's pristine condition, we'll have somepony from upstairs pay for it!"

"Thank you!" said Nose Nip. "Now follow me."

The two pegasus guards followed Nose Nip down the street to a large closed wagon. When the two went inside, Nose Nip and Frosty (who secretly followed them) jumped in after them and beat them up in the darkness. Two minutes later, they emerged wearing suits identical to the ones the guards wore, albeit modified for size.

"Thanks, guys." Nose Nip told the owner of the wagon. "You and the other Iron Horses should hide those guys now."

"We'll make sure they don't get in your way." said the driver in agreement, before proceeding to haul the wagon away.

Nose Nip and Frosty went back to the main entrance and took the guards' places at the front entrance. Bathilda the fruit bat flew from above and fluttered over to the Frosty's coach. Radiant Dawn, Teddy, and Scarlet Blaze emerged a few moments later and rushed to the front entrance.

"The coast is clear." said Radiant. "Daring's made it inside."

"Now let's hurry inside." said Scarlet. "The Iron Horses will be here any minute. You two stay here to let them know that we've made it in, and to get ready in case we need their help."

"Sounds good enough to me!" said Frosty. "Oh, and Teddy?"

"Yeah?" said Teddy.

"I just wanna say this, in case you don't make it outta there alive." said Frosty.

"Say what?"

"You still owe me and Nips money."

"Right." Teddy nodded.

Teddy, Radiant Dawn, and Scarlet Blaze entered the foyer of the building, ready to carry out their part of the plan.

The Assault on Summerset Tower, Part 1

Radiant Dawn, Scarlet Blaze, and Teddy went up the stairs until they reached the top of the stairwell at the sixth floor. They traversed the halls looking for the door that would lead them to the next stairwell.

"So, anyone know where that door is?" asked Teddy.

"No." said Radiant and Scarlet at once.

"I'm getting nervous right now." said Teddy, as the three took turn after turn through the hallways. "I'm so scared that someone might sneak up on me and--"

"Hey! Who the heck are you three?" said a voice.

Teddy cried out, turned left, then pummeled his hooves into the speaker, an earth pony that appeared as a silhouette in the darkly-lit hallway.

"You're not gonna beat me up again!" Teddy shouted as he pounded the shadowy figure. "I ain't gonna take it! You're goin' down!"

When the stallion fell over in a bruised and dazed state, Teddy started whooping excitedly.

"Whoo! I...I finally beat someone up!" he whispered excitedly. "I beat somepony up! My days of getting a whooping are over! Now I give everyone else a--"

"Bravo, Teddy." said Scarlet, in a deadpan tone. "You just beat up a helpless janitor. My hero."

Teddy stopped his celebrating and took a close look at the pony he beat up: an elderly janitor with a silver mustache, laying on the ground in a miserable crumpled heap.

"Oh...my hip!" he groaned.

"Uh...sorry!" Teddy found himself laughing sheepishly.

"Well, we'd might as well lock him in the utility closet." said Radiant.

Radiant used his magic to unlock a nearby door, and Scarlet levitated the janitor inside.

"Teddy, why don't you take his uniform?" suggested Scarlet. "This stallion's not going to need it anytime soon."

"Good idea." said Teddy, still laughing in shock of the beatdown he gave the old stallion.

Three minutes later, Teddy emerged from the utility closet in the uniform.

"Okay, let's not tell anyone else about that, okay?" said Teddy.

"Whatever you say, Teddy." said Scarlet, uninterested.

"What's there to not tell anyone?" said another voice.

Teddy turned around, and felt his jaw drop: The entire hall was full of thugs!

"Pick as many as you want." said Scarlet to Radiant and Teddy as the three stood back-to-back.

"Hello." said Mr. Blue, emerging from the army of thugs. "And goodbye."

Daring Do, still disguised as a secretary, was flying up the stairwell that would take her to the 22nd floor, where another stairwell would lead her straight to the 27th floor. Suddenly, she heard hoof-falls below, turned around, and saw a dozen thugs looking up at her. She kept flying up, when a dark pony-shape leapt and tackled her in mid-air. The two went across to a lower staircase on the 20th floor, and rolled down the stairs until they crashed into the landing.

"You thought you could sneak up on us?" said Mr. Yellow, rising up before Daring Do could do the same. "We anticipated your every move, Daring Do."

Meanwhile, Mr. Summerset was still giving the disguised trio a tour of his private collection. He had already shown them many artifacts, including three of the bells from Star Swirl the Bearded's hat, and a statue of King Sombra.

"And this here is the helmet that was worn by Nightmare Moon." said Summerset, pointing to a large dark blue helmet on a nearby stand.

"You've actually been to the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters?" asked Trixie.

"No. I actually sent a team there a couple years ago, and they recovered Nightmare Moon's helmet." said Summerset. "It took some time to restore it to its original condition, but it was worth it to see such a beautiful, if ominous piece of armor. We weren't able to restore the rest of the armor, though. The other segments were simply too damaged. We were able to collect the other pieces anyway, though."

"Did you use them for anything?" asked Sunset Shimmer, curiously.

"Yes, actually." said Mr. Summerset. "I had them melted down and used to make a number of items, including a set of silverware for myself."

"Pretty impractical, if you ask me." said Sunset.

"Perhaps." said Mr. Summerset. "It's not quite the same as having the Elements of Harmony, now is it...Sunset Shimmer?"

Sunset, Trixie, and Lightning Dust gasped. A winged shape dropped down behind them from the ceiling. It was Mr. Red, wearing a particularly nasty grin on his face.

"A nice effort, Miss Shimmer." said Summerset. "But I'm afraid I'm not that easy to fool!"

"How'd you figure it out?" asked Sunset. "We were all so careful!"

"I have my ways." said Summerset. "And now you three aren't going anywhere. Even as we speak, your friends and family are being hunted down by my private security force."

Teddy was in a wrestling match with one of the security guards, while Radiant and Scarlet took turns blasting thugs down the hallway with concussive blasts. Once in a while, they sighted Mr. Blue and fired a spell at him, only for him to deflect it and disappear into the army once more.

"We don't have time for this, mom!" said Radiant. "We need to get to dad!"

"I know, son!" said Scarlet. "But there's just too many of these guards! Even with our combined magical skills and Teddy's...whatever he has...we're gonna be overwhelmed!"

"Where the heck are those Iron Horses?!" shouted Radiant as he unleashed another concussive blast on yet another group of guards.

"Hey-ya! Did somepony request us Iron Horses?" shouted another voice.

Summerset's thugs stopped attack the trio, except for the one fighting Teddy, and saw a dozen earth ponies in zoot suits.

"Pick a body part, boys!" shouted an Iron Horse.

The Iron Horses charged and collided with Summerset's security guards.

"I can't believe Frosty and Nips managed to get something right!" said Radiant Dawn.

Teddy managed to break free of his opponent, and started pummeling him as he laid on the ground. When the thug lost consciousness, he looked around and saw the other thugs being beaten by the Iron Horses.

"Teddy, come on!" said Radiant. "We need to find my dad!"

"Nah, it's okay." said Teddy. "I think I got it covered here."--he ran to join the fight--"Save some room for me, guys!"

"Good luck, Ted." said Radiant. "That just leaves you and me, mom."

"Right." said Scarlet. "Let's find your father before he tells Summerset we're here."

The two unicorns made it to the stairwell, and galloped up the stairs until the made it to the 8th floor. Mr. Blue was waiting for them there.

"Golden Sun, you must stop this at once!" said Scarlet. "Don't you remember me?"

"You gotta snap out of it, dad!" agreed Radiant. "Please!"

"My loyalty is to Lionel Summerset, and no one else." said Mr. Blue. "And right now, you're intruding on his property!"

Scarlet sighed.

"I really don't want to do this, honey." said Scarlet. "But if I have to beat some sense into you, I'll do it."

"Then come and get me, baby!" shouted Mr. Blue.

Daring Do quickly got back up.

"You may have somehow anticipated me, but that doesn't mean you'll best me just like that!" she shouted.

She flew up the stairwell, carrying Mr. Yellow in her front hooves. She rammed the two of them through the door and they landed on the 22nd floor. She and Mr. Yellow engaged in an intense martial arts duel. Mr. Yellow hoof-punched Daring several times in the gut and face, but she still kept going. Daring grabbed Mr. Yellow by his front-left hoof and slammed him into the floor. Then she grabbed a nearby chair and swung it at Mr. Yellow as he got back up. He was sent flying into a nearby wall with a loud smack, but immediately charged back. He jumped on top of the chair, and raised a hoof to punch Daring in the face, but Daring blocked his hoof with her own.

"Nice moves, Miss Do." said Mr. Yellow.

"You aren't too bad, yourself." said Daring.

Then Daring threw the chair against a door, knocking it off its hinges and revealing the next stairwell. Mr. Yellow galloped at Daring again, and the two were locked in another exchange of punches and kicks. Daring pushed Mr. Yellow back, grabbed a nearby lamp, and swatted Mr. Yellow away with it. Mr. Yellow got up again, prompting Daring Do to grab him, and then slam him into the wall several times until he slid to the floor, unconscious.

"Next time, don't bother fighting me." said Daring Do. "You'd might as well be banging your head against a wall."

She sighed.

"I really need to work on my one-liners." she said.

And then she flew up the stairwell to the 27th floor.

Mr. Red quickly overpowered the three mares, and had Trixie and Lightning Dust held by the neck in his front hooves.

"No funny tricks, or your best friends get it!" said Mr. Red.

"Okay, Mr. Summerset." said Sunset. "You've got us where you want us. Now what do you want?"

"Well, I'm going to dispose of you and all of your friends." said Summerset. "You've all interfered with my plans to control Las Pegasus for much too long."

"Let me guess, you're going to put us in some unnecessarily elaborate death trap we could easily escape, right?" asked Sunset.

"No." said Mr. Summerset, walking to a display case nearby. "I'm going to do something that will take a lot less time and effort."

Out of the display case, he took a gauntlet and put it on. He twisted his hoof and a long dark blue blade slowly shot out.

"This hoofblade was made using metal from Nightmare Moon's armor." said Summerset. "Allow me to give you a demonstration of just how sharp it is."

Summerset raised the blade, and swung it at a nearby statue. In a second, it fell apart into six pieces.

"And now, I will do the same to you, Miss Shimmer." said Summerset.

He approached Sunset, who was visibly cringing.

"No!" shouted Trixie.

"Don't do it!" yelled Lightning Dust.

But before Trixie could her magic to stop Summerset, Mr. Red squeezed her neck, causing her to become lightheaded. Summerset raised his blade, which exhibited a distinctive sheen. But then he lowered it.

"But this would be a great dishonor." said Summerset.

"What are you talking about?" said Sunset.

"You see, I previously had no idea that you were of Saddle Arabian descent." said Summerset. "If I hadn't known from meeting your mother at my casino that you had Saddle Arabian ancestry, I would kill you right here and now without thinking about it. But since you are technically one of my people, I think I can afford to give you a fighting chance before you are killed."

"But why?" asked Lightning Dust.

"A good question, Miss Dust." said Summerset. "You see, since I was young, I was taught the ways of the great ancient paladins of Saddle Arabia. They have an honor code that goes as such: You may kill whomever you deem a threat, but if your enemy is also Saddle Arabian, then you must give them a chance to fight back before killing them. Otherwise, it is considered murder, and is punishable as such."

"A duel, huh?" said Sunset. "You're on!"

Mr. Red dropped Trixie and Lightning Dust.

"Go on ahead, girls." he said. "Sit down and watch the show."

"Oh, and one more thing." said Summerset. "Since I would prefer not to get my favorite suit ruined..."

He unbuttoned his dress-shirt and took it off...revealing two long wings that spread out immediately, surprising Sunset and her friends, who previously believed that Summerset was merely an earth pony.

"Now we can begin." he said.

The Assault on Summerset Tower, Part 3

Radiant Dawn and Lionel Summerset kept fighting each other. Although Radiant was somewhat more muscular, Summerset's agility made it tremendously difficult for Radiant to hit his mark, physically or with magic. Radiant charge forward, but Summerset ascended into the air and dropped down on him.

"Now to finish you off." said Summerset, raising the blade over Radiant's head.

There was a sound of doors slamming, and several pony-shapes rushed into the room where Radiant and Summerset were fighting. Nose Nip, Frosty, Teddy, Mr. Steel, and several Iron Horses came up from downstairs, and Sunset Shimmer, Golden Sun, and Scarlet Blaze came down the stairwell from upstairs.

"You're surrounded, Summerset!" said Mr. Steel.

"Step away from my brother, or you're in for a world of hurt!" said Sunset.

Summerset lowered his blade.

"So you think you have me right where you want me?" said Summerset.

"We know it!" said Sunset. "So just give up now, and we can talk this whole mess out, okay? You can start over and go legit! You could make Las Pegasus a better place without turning to crime!"

"Poor, naive little Sunset Shimmer." said Lionel Summerset. "You think that I'll just turn myself in? That I've seen the error of my ways and am ready and willing to turn over a new leaf? Well, you can keep dreaming, Sunset. Why? Because I have an ace up my sleeve."

He picked up a nearby chair and raised it over his head. Sunset and her family all had their horns glowing. But instead of throwing the chair at them, Summerset threw it through the window, shattering it. The moment the glass was broken, a loud humming sound was heard from outside.

"What's that noise?" said Nose Nip.

"I don't like the sound of that!" said Scarlet.

"That is my ticket out of here." said Summerset, who took off through the window.

Sunset and the others ran up to the broken window, looked up, and gasped in complete shock: a massive black-and-gold zeppelin that was forty yards in length and twenty in diameter was descending from the clouds above Summerset Tower, and Summerset was flying straight up to it, a winged bronze speck in the blue sky.

"Man, dat thing's humongous!" said Frosty.

"Where the buck did he get a blimp?!" said Sunset, alarmed.

"Hey, I heard about that." said Mr. Steel. "That's the Summerstar! It's Summerset's private blimp!"

Right on cue, a glint of white light appeared on the cab on the underside of the zeppelin. Then there was some kind of combustion, and something large, round, and made of black metal shot through the air.

"What the heck--" said Nose Nip.

The object struck Summerset Tower, shattering through the glass on the 24th floor. They could hear a shake and a faint rumbling from above.

"Was that what I think it was?" said Sunset.

Another light gleamed from the zeppelin, and another black object was fired into the building, this time on the 17th floor.

"Is he--HE'S TRYING TO BRING DOWN THE BUILDING!" Sunset screamed in shock. "We've gotta get outta here!"

Everyone was panicking, all hastily trying to get back down the stairs.

Lightning Dust, Trixie, Daring Do, Maximum Velocity, and Thunder Lee felt a low rumbling beneath their hooves.

"What the heck's going on?" said Trixie. "The Great and Powerful Trixie does not like this!"

"Our cue to get the hoof out of here." said Daring Do. "Quick! Everypony down the stairwell!"

The five descended the stairs as quickly as possible. They came to the 23rd floor, when a black object smashed through the window and left a crater in the wall. Lightning Dust and Daring Do ran to the window and looked up.

"Dude, that's one big blimp." said Lightning Dust in surprise.

Another black shell shot through the 28th floor.

"Why would Summerset fire on his own building?" asked Lightning Dust.

"He must've blown a gasket or something." said Maximum Velocity.

"Lightning Dust, you and I have to go up and stop that blimp before it levels this entire building!" said Daring Do.

"Sounds dangerous." said Lightning, seemingly uncertainly.

Then her eyes narrowed and she had a determined look on her face.

"And just the way I like it!" she continued.

"What about me?" asked Trixie.

"You can come with us." said Thunder Lee. "I know a few shortcuts that'll take us to ground level."

"But..."

"Trixie, as a Shadowbolt, I'm ordering you to get to safety!" said Lightning Dust. "Sunset might need your help, wherever she is!"

"Okay." said Trixie, reluctantly. "Good luck, Lightning."

Then Thunder led Trixie and Maximum away.

"Ready?" asked Daring.

"Ready!" said Lightning.

The two pegasi took off through the broken window, and flew through the air to the zeppelin.

Sunset and the others were running down the stairs, passing by Iron Horses and Summerset's guards and staff members as she went.

"Get out!" yelled Sunset to everypony she passed by. "Get out of the building before it's too late!"

"The whole building's gonna go down any minute!" shouted Radiant.

There was pandemonium going on throughout the bottom ten levels of the building, but Sunset's coordination allowed everyone to escape the building before any major damage befell them. They made it out into the street, where a large crowd of onlookers was gathering. They were all watching the Summerstar firing its on-board cannons at Summerset Tower.

"Man, this is just crazy!" said Teddy.

"Is everypony we know outside?" said Sunset.

"I think so." said Scarlet.

"I know I'm out here!" said Frosty.

"Wait a minute, where's Lightning Dust?" said Radiant, alarmed.

Sunset gasped.

"And where's Trixie? And Daring Do?" said Sunset. "I got separated from them! They could still be--"

"Look up in the sky!" said one of the pedestrians on the street.

Two dark specks shot out from one of the higher levels of the tower, and flew off towards the gigantic airship firing at the building.

Lightning Dust and Daring Do flew towards the airship. As they flew, they dodged every shell fired at them, and made it to the cab at the bottom. They forced open the trapdoor on the cab's underside, and flew inside. They came into a dark, spacious room that was furnished to look like a lounge area.

"Nice place." commented Lightning.

"Summerset's got to be around here somewhere." said Daring.

They snuck out of the room, only to find themselves in front of at least a dozen of Summerset's thugs.

"Let's rock!" shouted Lightning.

She and Daring Do began fighting their way through the thugs, going through room after room on the airship, until they made it to the bridge, where Summerset was waiting for them.

"Daring Do, we meet once more." he said.

"Lionel, why are you doing this?" said Daring.

"Because I will rule this city, and I won't allow anyone to get in my way!"

"You'll never get away with this, Summerset!" said Lightning Dust. "I won't allow it!"

The crew members of the airship rushed to Summerset's aid, but Lightning Dust and Daring Do quickly knocked them all out. Summerset revealed his blade again, but before he could swing it again, Daring rushed him and pinned him down with all her might. Lightning Dust was quick to join her.

"Lionel Summerset, you're under arrest!" she said in an authoritative tone. "You're gonna be serving a long time in prison, buddy."

"Oh, joy." snarked Summerset.

"Hey! You there!" Daring shouted to one of the crew members, who had just gotten back up. "Get this thing on the ground immediately!"

"But we're in the middle of a city!" said the crew member, still aching over. "Where am I supposed to land?"

"Then land us somewhere outside of the city!" said Daring Do. "Get us to the city limits now!"

Sunset Shimmer and the others watched as significant portions of Summerset Tower began to fall to the streets below. Sunset was on edge, worrying that Trixie might not make it. The only thing to keep her mind off of this was Radiant Dawn talking with Golden Sun nearby.

"Dad, I've missed you so much!" Radiant said.

"I know, son." said Golden Sun. "I missed you, too. In fact, I missed all of you."

"There's so much stuff that you missed, dad." said Radiant. "All kinds of stuff. Stuff mom missed, too, but still."

"Yes, but I'm sure we should save that for another time." said Golden Sun. "Right now, we're in a bit of a predicament."

"How long do you think that building was last, sweetie?" asked Scarlet.

"Well, as long as the airship doesn't fire any more at the building, it should be able to stand a little while longer before it needs repairs." said Golden Sun, studying the damage dealt by the shells. "Although a few floors might end up collapsing in a matter of hours, even minutes. I sure hope nopony's still in there."

"But there is somepony still in there, dad!" said Sunset.

"Who, Sunset?" said Golden Sun, urgently.

"Trixie." said Sunset, worried. "She's my best friend!"

"Hey, I'm sure your friend will be okay." said Golden Sun, putting a hoof on Sunset's shoulder. "Just don't stop believing."

"Thanks, dad." said Sunset, with a smile.

Meanwhile, Nose Nip and Frosty were talking with each other.

"So, how long do ya think that building's gonna stay up?" asked Frosty.

"I'd give it until--"

Suddenly, the 14th floor began to collapse into the 13th floor, triggering a string of explosions that caused a fire that spread to both floors. Rubble began to fall to the ground from the higher levels, and thick black smoke trailed into the sky.

"Now." said Nose Nip.

Sunset gasped in horror and put a hoof over her mouth.

"Oh, boy. Oh, boy." she whispered frantically. "Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay!"

She cringed in fear, and started shaking nervously. She couldn't stand to lose Trixie. Not now. She was the very first friend that Sunset had made since she went back to Equestria, and if she were to lose her...she couldn't bear to think about it. Suddenly, three figures stampeded out of the main entrance of the building. At the front was--

"Trixie!" yelled Sunset.

She ran up to her best friend and hugged her.

"Sunset!" said Trixie. "I'm okay! I'm okay!"

"Thanks to us." said Maximum Velocity.

"Wait a minute!" said Nose Nip, looking at Thunder and Maximum. "Those are Summerset's goons!"

"Not anymore." said Thunder Lee. "Summerset brainwashed us, and Professor Sun over there."

"It's true!" said Golden Sun in agreement.

"Look up there!" said Mr. Steel. "Summerset's airship's flying away! We can't let 'em escape!"

"We'll have to follow him!" said Sunset.

"Right behind you, sis." said Radiant Dawn.

Golden Sun's Tale

The Summerstar landed in a field outside Las Pegasus. Lightning Dust and Daring Do escorted Summerset off of the airship. There was already a squad of city guards waiting for them.

"Take him away, boys." said Lightning.

The guards approached Summerset, and put shackles around his wings so that he wouldn't fly away, and then escorted him to a nearby paddy wagon.

"I will find a way out of this." said Summerset.

"Well, I don't think that's gonna be any time soon." said Lightning.

"Yeah, I don't think the citizens of Las Pegasus would take kindly to the idea of someone flying an airship around and wrecking their buildings." said Daring Do. "Even if the pony in question happened to be the owner of that building."

"My influence in this city is too strong!" said Summerset. "You can't keep me in custody forever!"

"Yeah, yeah." said Lightning. "Tell it to the judge."

When Summerset was brought into the wagon and the door was closed, the wagon drove off to the city, just as Sunset Shimmer and her friends arrived in a convoy of coaches and wagons.

"Lightning Dust!" said Sunset. "Daring Do! It's so good to see you two are alright!"

"Yep!" said Lightning Dust. "And I was able to arrest Summerset as easy as one, two, three!"

"No way!" said Radiant Dawn, who just caught up. "You actually managed to arrest Summerset? That's very impressive."

"Yep!" said Lightning Dust. "That's right! And he was my very first arrest without any help from the Shadowbolts!"

Daring Do cleared her throat.

"Of course, I did have some help from this...ahem, civilian over here." said Lightning.

"Hmm...better?" said Daring, shrugging.

Later that day, Sunset Shimmer and her friends and family returned to the Golden Colt Hotel, and sat together at a private lounge, where they discussed they achievements.

"I bet Captain Star Shield and Princess Luna will wanna give you a promotion for this, Lightning!" said Radiant.

"Yeah, maybe I'll make Staff Sergeant or even 2nd Lieutenant for this!" said Lightning, confidently.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, Lightning..." said Radiant. "You're second to nopony. You're the number one lady in my life--outside of the family, anyway."

"About that, son." said Golden Sun. "I would like to make an announcement."

He looked around at Trixie, Lightning Dust, Nose Nip, Frosty, Teddy, and even Daring Do (who was disguised again as A.K. Yearling), Quick Shot, Maximum Velocity, Thunder Lee, and Mr. Steel.

"Because of a mishap more than fifteen years ago, my family has been torn apart by both time and space." he said softly. "And my beloved son and daughter have jumped through countless hoops in their time without me and my wife to watch over them. As sad as this is, I think this time without our guidance has shown just as amazing and brilliant they really are. I really do think I have the best family a pony like myself could ever ask for."

Sunset, Radiant, and Scarlet all hugged Golden Sun.

"But that's not all!" continued Golden Sun. "Even with my marvelous wife and our truly wonderful children, I don't think all four members of this family would have been back together as soon as we have. I think it's safe to say that the four of us are all in your debt! That's why I would like to thank each and every last one of you for making this impeccable moment possible. From now on, I'm declaring each and every one of you honorary members of the Daystar household; anywhere we call home, you can call home, too. You've all earned it!"

Then the entire group applauded.

"Really, there's no need to thank me!" said Golden Sun. "Like I said, we ought to be thanking you!"

"I'm greatly honored, Professor Sun." said Yearling.

"And me, too." said Mr. Steel. "And I'll tell ya what: I think I'll postpone that favor I requested from your wife for another day! I'm a family guy, myself, so I think I can pull a few strings to give you all some time to spend with each other! As for me, I've got a couple-a things to manage now that Summerset's in the clink!"

And then he left.

"But there's one thing I really don't understand, dad." said Sunset. "Exactly what happened that caused you and mom to disappear, anyway?"

Golden Sun took a deep breath.

"Well, I guess I should explain it now." he said, uncharacteristically solemnly. "So it all started fifteen years ago, in our home..."

APPROX. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO...

Golden Sun was translating yet another ancient tome in his study, when he suddenly heard somepony knock on his door.

"Darling, have you seen little Radiant or Sunset anywhere?" said Scarlet Blaze. "It's time for both of them to take a bath!"

"Yeah, they're playing on the front lawn when I last saw them!" Golden Sun called back to his wife.

"No they aren't!" growled Scarlet. "I've just looked out there, and they're nowhere in sight! They're not inside either, or I would've known!"

Golden Sun gasped, climbed out of his seat, and unlocked the door.

"Goodness, I hope they're all right!" he said said he swung the door open.

"We'll have to go out and look for them!" said Scarlet. "Let's go!"

The two galloped down the stairs to the front doors.

"If those two aren't already running back home by the time we find them, I swear by Celestia that I'm grounding them both for a month!" growled Scarlet.

"Scarlet..." said Golden Sun, as he opened the door.

"Fine, I'll only ground Radiant for a month!" said Scarlet. "Sunset only gets a week of--"

"Scarlet, that's not what I'm talking about!" said Golden Sun. "Look outside!"

Scarlet used her telekinesis to open the door even wider, and saw a group of Changelings blasting the front gate to the estate open.

"What are those things, honey?" said Scarlet.

"Trouble." said her husband.

"You two!" said the apparent leader of the Changelings, a scrawny runt with big bulbous eyes and a short slightly-spiky mane. "We are hunting for two young ponies that intruded on territory of the Changeling Empire. I, Prince Embryo of the House of Thorax, demand that if you know anything about this, you tell us immediately before there's trouble!"

"What do these youngsters look like?" asked Golden Sun.

"A young amber filly with a red-and-blonde mane, and a reddish-orange colt with--"

"That's our children!" exclaimed Scarlet, who suddenly wore a furious expression on our face.

"Then I do believe that you two are responsible for this!" said Embryo. "Soldiers, subdue them immediately!"

But Scarlet unleashed a spell that blasted two of Prince Embryo's soldiers to the ground, where they lay lifeless. But there was still several more around them, with potentially even more along the way. The Changelings fired their own barrage of spells, which the couple either dodged or deflected. The projectiles instead wrecked several portions of Daystar Manor, including the front doors.

"Oh, dear." said Golden Sun.

"We're seriously outnumbered!" said Scarlet, who fired another spell that blasted another three or four Changelings out of the air.

"Umm...don't worry, my dear!" said Golden Sun. "I've got a spell that could get rid of these creatures in a heartbeat! I just hope it works!"

His horn began to glow, and an extremely bright projectile was unleashed. He was aiming at Prince Embryo, but suddenly a white-bodied Changeling teleported in-between the two, and deflected it. Scarlet Blaze turned and saw the spell was headed straight for her. She gasped in horror, and screamed as the spell hit her in the face. She was enveloped in a pale light, and disappeared into a vortex that appeared precisely where she stood.

"Scarlet! No!" Golden Sun yelled, horrified. "What have I done?!"

He stood there completely shocked. He wasn't even sure what spell he just cast, or what effect it would have on Scarlet. He could've sent her an unknown amount of years into the future, or even outright killed her for all he knew. He was so disgusted by his rash decision that he lost the will to keep fighting back.

"I give up!" said Golden Sun to Prince Embryo. "Do your worst."

Then the white Changeling dropped to the ground and approached him, his horn glowing.

"Just hold still." he said.

Suddenly, an extremely powerful freezing spell shot out from his horn, and Golden Sun found himself completely coated in green-tinted ice, and unable to move.

PRESENT DAY...

"...And then the next thing I know, I was being thawed on a fishing boat a couple dozen leagues from the docks of Las Pegasus, nearly twelve years later." said Golden Sun. "Apparently, the body of ice the Changelings trapped me in was dumped into the ocean, and I was drifting around and being carried by the ocean currents until that fishing boat caught me in a net."

"I can't believe those Changelings would just do something like that!" said Radiant.

"I don't know if they were the ones that did it, though." said Golden Sun.

"Well, I'd bet my bottom cent it was Ghost's doing." said Sunset. "I sure wouldn't put it past him to do something as heartless as that."

"Ghost was the white one, right?" asked Scarlet.

"Yep." said Sunset and Radiant at once.

"But dear, why didn't you go back to Vanhoover as quickly as possible?" asked Scarlet.

"I wanted to, honey." said Golden Sun. "But like I said, the closest settlement to where I was thawed out was Las Pegasus. And that's where I knew my friend Lionel Summerset was. So I went to his building to try and persuade him to provide me with transportation back to my hometown."

"What kind of 'friend' brainwashes his friends?" asked Sunset.

"Well, let's just say that Lionel became a little on-edge, even ambitious in recent years." said A.K. Yearling. "I'll assume that now he's met you again in such a long time, he didn't want to see you leave again."

"Correct, Ms. Yearling." said Golden Sun. "Lionel wanted me to stay and help him run his business empire. But I had to turn him down so that I could search for my family. And then he used an ancient talisman to brainwash me into being his lackey."

"And he did the same to me and Thunder." said Maximum Velocity.

"And that's where you all came in." said Golden Sun to Sunset and her friends, before frowning.

He tilted his head down sadly.

"I'm so sorry for what happened." he said. "This whole thing was my fault. If I didn't try casting that time spell, Scarlet wouldn't have disappeared, I wouldn't have been frozen and thrown into the sea, and my own children wouldn't have been left all alone to fend for themselves."

His eyes began to water, and he started to sob.

"I don't know how I'll ever be able to live with myself anymore." he wept. "I've failed myself as both a father and a husband."

"No, you haven't." said Sunset Shimmer, comforting her father. "You're wonderful, dad. You always have been. And even if we weren't all together as long as we would've wanted..."

"And no matter how much time and space divides us..." added Radiant Dawn.

"We're still family!" said the two siblings at once.

Golden Sun dried his eyes with his hoof.

"Thanks, kids." he said. "Scarlet and I really do have such wonderful--and wise--children."

Leaving Las Pegasus

The next day, Sunset Shimmer decided that it was time to go back to Canterlot. She sat down with her friends to discuss how they'd leave.

"So how are we all gonna go back?" asked Nose Nip.

"We could take the cruise ship back." suggested Teddy.

"Oh yeah, I'd love to go on there!" said Frosty.

"No, getting cruise tickets for nearly a dozen ponies will be expensive." said Sunset.

"Well, we have a modified fishing-boat anchored at the docks." said Nose Nip. "That's how me, Frosty, and your mother got here."

"Yeah, but there's two things wrong with that idea:" said Frosty. "One: I ain't goin' on no stinkin' fish boat ever again! Two: even if I did, that boat can't take more than four ponies!"

"Should we just go our separate ways?" asked Nose Nip. "You know, split up and take our own ways back to where we were before we came to this city?"

"Nips, please!" said Sunset. "I know you'd rather go back to Vanhoover as quickly as possible, but I'd really like it if all my friends could come back with me to Canterlot. If only for a day."

"Yeah, guys." agreed Teddy. "I think you'd really like Canterlot."

"Okay, if somepony can think of a way for all of us to go there, I'll do it." said Nose Nip, reluctantly.

"I just got the craziest idea, guys." said Lightning Dust.

"And what would that be?" asked Trixie.

"What if we took Summerset's blimp and flew back to Canterlot!" said Lightning.

"That big thing that tried blasting us to bits?" said Frosty. "No thanks. I'm afraid of heights, anyway."

"But Frosty, we climb mountains for a living!" said Nose Nip. "How's a blimp any different?"

"Hmph!" said Frosty.

"The Summerstar has an on-board lounge!" said Lightning. "And it has all kinds of vintage drinks!"

"I'll do it!" said Frosty, excitedly.

"And I always wanted to fly in a balloon!" said Teddy.

Sunset and the others made it to the field where the Summerstar was landed.

"You know, when it's not shooting at us..." said Nose Nip. "You can really admire the way this thing was constructed."

"Nips, do you think you can pilot it?" asked Sunset.

"Me?" said Nose Nip, surprised.

"Yes." said Sunset. "I mean, since you did get my mom all the way to Las Pegasus in a fishing-boat..."

"Yeah, but that's...well, that's just not the same thing!" said Nose Nip.

"Is so!" said Frosty. "Look, since I've saved your sorry overly-muscular butt a whole buncha times during our mountain-climbin' trips, I bet you and I together could fly this hunk-a junk to the ends of Equestria!"

Meanwhile Lightning Dust was speaking with Daring Do.

"Daring, you were just awesome back there." said Lightning. "I mean the way you and I stormed this blimp and arrested Summerset! You should totally be a Shadowbolt!"

"Sorry, Lightning Dust." declined Daring. "But I'm afraid I already have a job of my own, and it usually involves working alone. But you're a pretty good flier yourself. I'm sure we'll meet again, though."

"Thanks." said Lightning. "And I promise that I'll start reading your books as soon as I can. If the stuff you write is even half as hood as what you and I went through this week, they've just gotta be epic! But what are you going to do now?"

Daring Do turned to Nose Nip and Frosty.

"Hey, is it okay with you two guys if I take your fishing-boat to Vanhoover?" she asked them. "I promise I won't let it get scratched."

"Well, what'dya think?" Frosty asked Nose Nip. "Dat thing's gotta get home somehow!"

"Fine." said Nose Nip.

Golden Sun was speaking with Thunder Lee and Maximum Velocity.

"You know, it's a shame that most of the time the three of us spent together was when we were all brainwashed." said Golden Sun. "I think maybe we could all be good friends. Would you like to come with the rest of us?"

"I sure would." said Thunder Lee. "But Mr. Quick Shot has a new movie planned, and he personally chose me to star in the lead role."

"And with Summerset in jail, I think someone oughta manage that casino of his." said Maximum Velocity. "The three of us really wrecked the place, so it's going to need new renovations. And maybe a new name, too. 'The Daystar Casino' has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you think?"

"It sure does." said Golden Sun. "Well, I'll see you two later."

And then Thunder and Maximum went to a parked coach.

Radiant Dawn was talking with Trixie.

"So how'd things go with your dad?" asked Radiant.

"I'll get him yet!" said Trixie, determined. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has many more tricks up her sleeve, even for the Supreme and Mystical Artemis!"

"Well, good luck with that." said Radiant.

Soon enough, everypony made it on board the zeppelin, and it ascended into the air. Soon enough, they were far from Las Pegasus and flying over fields, rivers, forests, and even deserts. While everypony was making themselves comfortable, Sunset Shimmer was filling her father in on as much as she could remember of the time she spent in Canterlot and the human world. Golden Sun was ecstatic when he found out that Sunset had Princess Celestia's star student, but frowned when Sunset told him she ran out on her mentor. He also exhibited an interest in the human world, despite the fact that unicorns couldn't use magic there.

"Sunset, I have to say that alternate world sounds like it has a lot of potential." said Golden Sun. "It would certainly be an interest world to do research on, too. Or it would be if that mirror opened more frequently than just thirty moons. It doesn't really leave a lot of time to look around, unless you're planning on moving there."

"Yeah." said Sunset. "You know, Dad, you're probably the first pony I've talked to in weeks that doesn't see the human world as a 'death-trap for unicorns' like some of my friends, and even Radiant have made it out to be."

"Well, that's why I'm looking at it both sides." said Golden Sun. "It's my job as a professor to do so. The human world can't really be such a terrible place, or there wouldn't be so many people living there, right?"

"That's true." said Sunset. "I actually thought the same thing when I first went there. I even adjusted to life there pretty quickly, too. I even managed to live more than thirty moons there without using any magic at all."

"Intelligent and resourceful." said Golden Sun. "You should be a schoolteacher someday, Sunset. I think you would do quite well."

Sunset sighed, and then continued:

"I can't believe I almost didn't come back from that other world. I had quite a few friends there before I returned to Equestria. I even had two boyfriends in that world. Even now, I kinda wish I spent a little more time making amends with everyone there..."

"Well, it's not really good-bye though, right?" said Golden Sun. "You could always wait for those thirty lunar cycles to pass, and you can visit those friends of yours easily!"

He took a swig of his lemonade.

"Umm...I would..." said Sunset. "But I kinda made a very big mess when I was there. Between turning into a demon and being hunted by the Chrysalis Sy--"

Golden Sun sputtered in surprise.

"Turning into a what?!" he said.

"A demon." said Sunset, slowly. "I turned into...a raging...she-demon."

Golden Sun burst into laughter. Not out of mockery, but to try and lighten the heavy atmosphere of Sunset's sentence. He took a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry, my dear." said Golden Sun. "That was very childish of me."

"No, it's alright." said Sunset. "Me turning into a demon does seem a little silly in hindsight...until I remember I almost committed murder shortly afterwards."

"Oh." said Golden Sun. "Well...that's...not something I would expect to happen."

"I was in a very, very bad phase." said Sunset. "When I put on the Element of Magic, the darkness in my heart corrupted me and turned me into that monster. And then... actually, I think I'll tell you about it another time."

"That's okay, my dear." said Golden Sun. "I understand it's a very stressful thing to remember. But I think you should tell me a little more about that alternate world sometime, too. Have you ever considered writing a book about it?"

"Maybe, but..." Sunset paused, as if an impulse entered her subconscious. "You know, I suddenly felt like I forgot something of mine in the human world, when I left in a haste to Equestria. I can't quite remember what, though."

"Did you bring anything with you from Equestria?" asked Golden Sun.

"Actually, I just remembered what it was: It was this magical bo--" Sunset began, before being interrupted by Lightning Dust barging into the lounge.

"We're less than a hundred miles from Canterlot." she said.

"Thanks!" said Sunset. "See ya in a bit, dad! I'm gonna check on how the others are doing."

"That's fine with me, Sunset." said Golden Sun.

Sunset and Lightning went to the bridge, where Radiant Dawn and Scarlet Blaze were just finishing sparring with each other.

"You're a great fighter, son." said Scarlet, panting.

"You're not too bad yourself, mom." said Radiant.

"To think you're already an officer in the Night Guard." said Scarlet. "You're going to go right to the top any day, son. I just know it."

"Maybe, mom." said Radiant. "Just maybe."

He noticed that Sunset had entered the room.

"Sunny, how's it going?" he said.

"I feel like an elephant's been lifted off my back, Red." said Sunset. "Now that the whole family's back together again, I feel complete. I even feel..."

"Yes, Sunset?"

"Rekindled." said Sunset. "I feel rekindled, like a new spark is burning inside me. I think I'm ready for a new lease on life now. I want to do something unexpected and exciting! Not because I have to, but because I get to. We still have the rest of the week before we go back to Canterlot, so let's just do something fun for a change!"

"What did you have in mind, Sunny?" asked Radiant.

Sunset chuckled in a faux-mischievous manner.

"Well...I think it's as good a time as any to pay a certain somepony a visit."

Twilight Sparkle was on the balcony of the Golden Oak Library, reading a new book in the sunlight. She was so occupied by her book that she didn't even noticed the loud humming just overhead. It wasn't until a massive shadow blotted out the sun and covered half the town in darkness that Twilight stopped reading. She looked up and gasped at the massive black shape in the sky. It took her half a minute to realize that it was an airship of some kind.

"What in tarnation's goin' on here?" Applejack, who was passing by, exclaimed. "What in the hoof is that doin' here?"

"Whatever that oversized flying-machine is, it's landing!" said Rarity.

And she was right; the airship was landing on the far side of Ponyville, near Sweet Apple Acres.

Twilight teleported down to Rarity and Applejack.

"Let's go check it out." said Twilight.

"Right behind ya, Twi!" said Applejack.

Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy made it to the landed zeppelin.

"Who do you think is in it?" asked Rarity.

"Well, whoever owns an airship this massive--and luxurious--must be a positively wealthy--"

Then the ramp lowered.

"Hey there, everyone!" Sunset called down to them. "How's it hanging, Twilight?"

Twilight and her friends all exchanged awkward expressions at each other, trying to figure out how to react.

"Nice blimp!" Pinkie Pie finally shouted.

A Visit to Ponyville, Part 1

Sunset Shimmer and her friends went into town with Twilight Sparkle and her own friends. They all split up, going to different parts of town. Golden Sun and Sunset Shimmer went with Twilight Sparkle to the Golden Oak Library. They went inside, and sat themselves down in front of one of the bookcases.

"I've got to say that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna must be very proud of you by now, Sunset." said Twilight Sparkle. "In just over a month, you've already made so many friends here in Equestria, helped so many ponies in need, and jumped through so many hoops to redeem yourself. Good job."

"Thanks, Twilight." said Sunset Shimmer. "And I'm glad that I was able to make so many friends, too. But getting my family back together again wasn't exactly a walk in the park, either."

"I'm sure it wasn't." said Twilight.

"Oh, yeah." said Sunset. "Twilight, I'd like to introduce you to my father, Golden Sun."

Twilight's eyes widened when she saw Sunset's father, who simply nodded his head in acknowledgement and made a small grin.

"I can't believe it." she said. "I'm actually meeting Professor Golden Sun. The Professor Golden Sun! Oh my gosh..."

"Oh, so I take it you've heard of me, princess?" asked Golden Sun.

"Yes!" said Twilight. "You wrote the foreword to the First Edition of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue!"

"Yes, and I'm actually a very good friend of Ms. Yearling. So that little introduction I composed was pretty much my way of showing my approval of her work."

"And my mother Twilight Velvet always told me about how you taught her at the University of Baltimare!"

"Twilight Velvet, eh?" repeated Golden Sun. "I certainly remember her. She was one of my best students there. And you sure look an awful lot like your mother too, Princess Twilight."

"Please, just call me 'Twilight Sparkle'." said Twilight, before turning to speak with Sunset Shimmer. "But Sunset, how come you didn't tell me that Professor Sun was your father?"

"You never asked, Twilight." said Sunset, blankly. "Besides, I didn't really know how important my father was, since I hadn't seen him since I was a little filly."

"Good point." said Twilight. "But it sure explains how you got to be so smart and clever."

"Thanks, Twilight." said Sunset, grinning.

"But still, I was expecting Professor Sun to look...ahem, older." Twilight said. "Not that I mean any offense, professor."

"None taken." said Golden Sun. "In fact, I actually get that a lot."

Then he chuckled a little.

"Oh, and I could recite my foreword, if you want." said Golden Sun. "I remember it by heart, down to the last vowel."

"Go on, dad." said Sunset. "I'd love to hear it."

Golden Sun took a deep breath, and spoke with a clear voice:

"'As a professor at one of the most prestigious universities in Equestria, I have read and told many great tales and translated an innumerable amount of ancient tomes and hieroglyphs, but none have captivated my interest in adventure and the unknown like the works of Ms. A.K. Yearling. They say that big things have small beginnings, but Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue is by no means a small beginning, but the first in a long line of grand adventures undertaken, not by a brave band of brothers, but by a single pegasus mare pitted against dangers that should be too great for anypony to face alone.'

"'You can relate to Daring Do, whether you're a bookworm, an athlete, or even an all-powerful deity. Her bravery has inspired countless others, and I can only hope she can do the same for you. And thus, I am proud to present the first story in my collague's brilliant series. Read on, and let the adventures begin!'"

Twilight applauded so loudly, the library echoed with the sound of her hooves clapping together.

"Beautiful, just beautiful!" she said. "Bravo!"

"Yeah, that was actually very good!" said Sunset. "In fact, I think I might even start re-reading those books again."

"Well, I have all the books here in the library." said Twilight. "So you can start wherever and whenever you see fit."

"Really, are you sure you have all of the stories?" asked Sunset, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep! I've checked five times, too!" said Twilight.

"Even...Daring Do and the Storm Tower?" said Sunset.

Twilight gasped.

"That...that book is real?" she said, shocked. "I thought that was only a rumor! A myth among even the most fanatical of Daring Do enthusiasts!"

"So I take it you don't have it?" asked Sunset.

"No!" said Twilight, shaking her head. "Do you?"

"Yep!" said Sunset. "It's right here in my saddle-bag!"

She turned to show Twilight the knapsack she carried. She used her telekinesis to levitate the old, slightly battered book into the air.

"This thing was read to me all the time as a bedtime story when I was a little filly." said Sunset Shimmer. "And look, it's signed by A.K. Yearling herself!"

"So it is!" said Twilight. "Well, I must congratulate you, Sunset Shimmer. It's not every day you see somepony with such an impossibly rare book in their possession!"

"And that somepony is you, Twilight." said Sunset, levitating the book between them.

"Um...what?"

"I'm giving this book to you, Twilight." said Sunset. "I'm happy with my life now. So I think I ought to give this to you."

"Oh, Sunset!" said Twilight. "Thank you!"

"Aww, that's such a generous thing you did, Sunset." said Golden Sun.

"Friends?" asked Sunset.

"Friends." said Twilight.

Sunset and Twilight gave each other a quick hug.

Nose Nip and Frosty decided to go with Applejack to Sweet Apple Acres.

"This here's Sweet Apple Acres!" said Applejack. "This is where all the apples in Ponyville come from."

They went into the orchard, where Big Macintosh was in the middle of some routine applebucking.

"How's it goin' Big Mac?" Applejack called to him. "I betcha we'll be gettin' lotsa good apples this tahm 'round!"

"Eeyup." said Big Macintosh.

"Big Mac's the best applebucker in all of Ponyville." said Applejack.

"Oh, yeah?" said Nose Nip. "That's nothing! I'm a mountain-climber. I make a living bucking boulders and stuff! I could buck all the apples in this orchard to the ground faster than you can tie a knot!"

"Them's fightin' words, stranger." said Big Macintosh.

"Ha! I don't care!" said Nose Nip. "We're both strong ponies aren't we? I challenge you to a hoof-wrestling match! No, scratch that! A double hoof-wrestling match! You think you can do that, farmboy?"

"Eeyup!" said Big Mac.

Nose Nip and Big Macintosh both sat in front of each other, and crossed their front hooves with each other's.

"Does your friend normally act lahk thayat?" Applejack asked Frosty.

"Only when he's bored...or he had too much to drink." said Frosty. "Come to think of it, I barely even had a bottle's worth to drink out of that whole mini-bar on the blimp....Nose Nip, you cow! You drank all the good stuff!"

He ran up to Nose Nip as he was hoof-wrestling with Big Mac, and the two started brawling and rolling around on the ground. Big Macintosh just sat there, completely lost for words.

"What?" he said simply.

"Well, this sure is interesting." said Applejack. "Mighty interestin'."

"Eeyup." said Big Macintosh.

Just as Applejack was contemplating how she would break-up the fight, Pinkie Pie came over to them, followed by a gray earth pony mare with a flat purple mane.

"Hey, guys!" said Pinkie Pie. "I hope you don't mind, but my sister Maud accidentally left her pet rock around here! She can't stand to have one second without it. Just look how distressed she is!"

She pointed at Maud, whose face was relatively emotionless and worry-free.

"Pinkie, I appreciate that you're trying to help, but there's no need to make a fuss." said Maud Pie, evenly.

She turned her head and saw where Frosty and Nose Nip were wrestling.

"There." she said.

She walked slowly to where they were fighting, and picked up a small rock just a few feet away.

"Found you." she said.

Nose Nip and Frosty stopped fighting out of exhaustion. Nose Nip sat himself up, trying to catch his breath. He looked at Maud with visible curiosity.

"Nips, what're ya doin'?" said Frosty.

Nose Nip said nothing.

"What's got your saddle in a knot?" said Frosty again.

Nose Nip got back up and walked up to Maud Pie.

"Nips! I'm ovuh here!" Frosty yelled after him.

"Found him, Pinkie." said Maud. "Now I can finally go back to the rock farm."

Nose Nip cleared his throat. Maud made no response. Nose Nip cleared him throat even harder. Then he gave up and decided to just talk to her.

"So, you have a pet rock, do ya?" he asked Maud.

"Mm-hmm." said Maud. "His name's Boulder."

"Boulder?" repeated Nose Nip. "But...he...is no bigger than a pebble!"

"I know." said Maud, bluntly. "If you will excuse me, I have to make it to the train station."

"But...but hang on." said Nose Nip. "Please, I didn't properly introduce myself. My name is Nose Nip."

"I'm Maud Pie."

"Nice to meet you, Maud. So you like rocks, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

"I'm a mountain-climber from Vanhoover." said Nose Nip. "I climb mountains all the time. I even see all kinds of precious minerals when I'm up on those mountains, too."

"Sounds interesting." said Maud, as monotonously as ever.

"Do you like diamonds at all?" asked Nose Nip. "Maybe I could get you one the next time I go climbing."

"I like all rocks." said Maud. "It's my thing."

Nose Nip started to sweat. Before the conversation could get anymore awkward, Nose Nip decided to end it.

"Well, I think I'll see ya later, Maud." he said.

"Maybe." said Maud, who continued walking away.

Nose Nip started panting like a dog. Pinkie Pie rushed over to him and squealed happily.

"Awww, it looks like somepony's got a crush!" she said.

Nose Nip stopped panting, and instead started to blush.

"Uh...um." he fumbled.

"Nips, are you serious?" said Frosty. "There's like a hundred mares in this town, and you go with that one?"

"Hey, don't criticize me!" said Nose Nip. "I know what I'm doing."

"Okay, okay." said Frosty. "I'm just sayin': Weird choice, buddy!"

"Whatever." said Nose Nip. "Now where was I again? Oh, yeah! Double hoof-wrestling!"

He rushed back to Big Macintosh and the two resumed their match.

A Visit to Ponyville, Part 2

Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash were hovering in the air close to where the Summerstar landed. Lightning Dust was telling Rainbow Dash about how she became a Shadowbolt, which only reminded Rainbow Dash of Nightmare Moon's incarnation of that team. But when she learned what Princess Luna's Shadowbolts did, she felt relieved.

"And I got to be a sergeant super-quick, and went on a ton of super-duper missions!" said Lightning. "In fact, I just came here from one of them, too."

She told Rainbow about her mission to protect Sunset Shimmer, and about her exploits in the city of Las Pegasus. It was when she told Rainbow about who helped her in that mission, her jaw dropped.

"No way!" Rainbow Dash said to Lightning Dust. "You actually went on a super-cool adventure with Daring Do, too?"

"That's right, Rainbow." said Lightning. "She and I took on one of the most notorious crime bosses in Las Pegasus, even storming that big zeppelin me and my friends all came here in. And I didn't even read a single one of her books, either."

"Well, I think we've gotta change that." said Rainbow, with a smile. "I've got almost every Daring Do book ever written at my place. I even got to be in one of her books, too!"

"Lucky you, Rainbow!" Lightning smiled.

"Do you wanna come over to my place now?" asked Rainbow.

"Lead the way--" Lightning began, before being tugged through the air to Rainbow Dash's floating residence.

Golden Sun, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle were having a conversation with each other about their mutual love of books.

"I've been reading books since I was a little filly." said Twilight. "In fact, I did it more than anything else. I once even preferred books to friends."

"Same here, Twilight." said Sunset. "I was pretty jaded about socializing, myself. Especially after my brother got kicked out of Celestia's school. Without my parents around, he was practically the whole world to me."

"Yeah, I still remember when your brother told me about it." said Twilight. "He also said that you read your dad's books all the time when you were a filly."

"That's right." said Sunset. "That's what made me so smart."

"I remember when I was little." said Golden Sun. "I loved books and socializing so much. When I was in school, I would read a whole novel all day and then share it with my classmates the next day. I even gave little tidbits about things to them, too. Sure, I wound up being picked on a lot by bullies, but it was their loss. I became a successful professor, and they wound up gardeners, fishers, and dock workers. Not bragging, mind you. I don't frown down on such professions at all. They're still valued members of Vanhoover society."

"Dad, you're such a saint." said Sunset Shimmer.

"I try my best." said Golden Sun.

Twilight Sparkle contemplated telling Golden Sun about how Sunset used to bully the students of Canterlot High School, but decided that it would put a strain on their newly-realized friendship. Instead, she decided to change the subject.

"Um, Sunset." she said. "I think I oughta ask this: Where and how did you get your hooves on a zeppelin?"

"Las Pegasus." said Sunset. "It's called the Summerstar. It belonged to this Saddle Arabian stallion named Lionel Summerset. He was holding my father hostage."

"That's right." said Golden Sun. "He brainwashed me using a magic talisman."

"Like the Alicorn Amulet?" asked Twilight.

"No." said Sunset. "It didn't really enhance his magic, just give him an alternate personality."

"And he made me steal all kinds of artifacts, too." said Golden Sun. "Even from museums and other private collections."

"But what happened to Summerset?" asked Twilight.

"He got arrested and sent to jail." said Sunset. "He really didn't like me interfering with his plans. And I wasn't even trying to, either. But he was firing down at us from that zeppelin. Almost brought his own building down on us."

"I suppose you know by now how it feels to almost be blasted apart by a power-crazed maniac." said Twilight.

Sunset narrowed her eyes, as if she was offended by what Twilight just said.

"Sunset, I'm sorry." said Twilight. "I should've been more sensitive--"

But Sunset started laughing.

"Yep. I sure do." she said. "But that's in the past, right?"

"It sure is." said Twilight.

Suddenly, Owlowicious flew through the open window, followed by Bathilda. There were flying in circles over their owners, with Owlowicious hooting repeatedly and Bathilda screeching loudly at him.

"Owlowicious, what's going on?" said Twilight.

"Bathilda, stop chasing Twilight's owl!" said Sunset. "Bad girl!"

The two pets dropped down to the floor.

"Now what was that about?" Twilight asked.

Owlowicious raised a talon, revealing that he was holding a red apple with a bite mark on the side.

"Aww, Bathilda." said Sunset. "Did Twilight's owl steal your food?"

Bathilda nodded.

"Sorry, Sunset." said Twilight. "But you see, Sweet Apple Acres recently had a bad encounter with some vampire fruit bats, and I guess Owlowicious has been a little sensitive around fruit bats because of it."

"It's okay, Twilight." said Sunset. "It's just our pets, right?"

"Let's hope they can become friends like we did." said Twilight.

Owlowicious and Bathilda hovered in front of each other, glaring intensely, then flew to opposite ends of the room.

"This may take a while." said Twilight.

Scarlet Blaze was walking down the road, when she came across a little filly with a curly red mane and glasses sitting against a house and crying. She decided to go over to her.

"What's the matter, little girl?" she asked.

"D-Diamond Tiara and Thilfer Thpoon were p-picking on me!" cried the filly, who spoke with a lisp. "They thaid I wathn't pretty! They teathed me and thaid I would never live a good life!"

Scarlet sat down next to her.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Peppermint Twitht." said the filly.

"Peppermint Twist, huh?" repeated Scarlet. "That's a nice name."

"Thankth, lady." said Peppermint Twist. "I thure wiff I were pretty like you."

"Well, I think you look just fine." said Scarlet. "In fact, you're absolutely adorable."

Peppermint Twist began to calm down.

You know, when I was your age, I wasn't exactly beautiful, either."

"Really?" asked Twist.

"That's right." said Scarlet. "In fact, I looked a lot like you."

"You did?"

"Oh, definitely!" Scarlet chuckled. "I had these big, thick prescription glasses, and my mane was all frizzy and silly-looking, and I even had the cutest little overbite you've ever seen, too."

"So how come you don't wear glatheth now?" asked Twist.

"I switched to contacts when I turned fourteen." said Scarlet.

"Do they hurt?"

"Only when you start, but you get used to them soon enough." said Scarlet. "The rest came naturally. By the time I reached adulthood, stallions were practically fawning over me left and right. The point is that you never know what you'll look like when you grow up. You might end up looking even more beautiful than me!"

"Gee. I never thought of it that way." said Twist. "Thank you, lady!"

"See you later, kid." said Scarlet, getting back up and adding: "Just do me a favor, okay?"

"Like what?" Twist asked, curiously.

"Keep this talk a secret from everypony. Do you think you could do that?" asked Scarlet. "I'd never hear the end of it if word spread about what I used to look like."

"Yeth, ma'am!" Twist said with a salute.

And then Scarlet left with a grin tucked into the corner of her mouth.

Teddy decided to go with Fluttershy to her house. They came to the front door, where Angel the bunny was waiting for them.

"Hi, Angel." said Fluttershy. "We have a guest today, okay?"

Angel looked up at Teddy and studied his face. He gave him a very fake grin, and then scampered into the building.

"Oh, he's just nervous." Fluttershy smiled. "Please come inside, and I'll make a nice cup of tea for both of us."

"Thanks, Fluttershy." said Teddy.

Teddy went inside and sat down on the couch. But no sooner did he sit down than he heard the loud noise of air deflating, and felt something thin and rubbery underneath his backside. Teddy jumped off and saw there was a whoopee cushion planted on the end where he sat. He turned around and saw Angel laughing silently and rolling on the floor.

"That's not funny, you know." Teddy told Angel.

"Oh, I'm sure Angel just played a harmless joke." said Fluttershy. "He can be such a sweet little boy sometimes."

"And a real jerk every other time." Teddy muttered under his breath.

Once they had their tea, Fluttershy got up.

"Well, it's time that I fed my animal friends." she said. "I'll see you later?"

"I could help if you want." said Teddy.

"Oh, no." said Fluttershy. "I'm sure you have something busy to do someplace else. See you another time?"

"Actually, since it looks like I'm gonna be here for a couple days, I figure I could help somepony out with something."

"Okay, but it really isn't that big a deal."

A few minutes later, Teddy and Fluttershy were feeding the animals in the backyard. Teddy started by giving acorns to the squirrels, which they accepted graciously. Then when he was done, he fed vegetables to the pigs and deer. But when he was suddenly startled by Angel, he ended up backing into Fluttershy's chicken coop. In seconds, he ran out, pursued by a gaggle of angry hens and roosters. They were chased him all around the yard, pecking him fiercely and scattering fathers in all directions.

"Help! Help!" Teddy shouted. "I hate chickens!"

"Please, could we all--" Fluttershy attempted to calm the chickens down, but they were too angry to stop attacking Teddy.

Radiant Dawn and Trixie Lulamoon were going to Fluttershy's place, after leaving Carousel Boutique carrying a bag of new outfits for both of them to wear.

"I wonder if Teddy's actually going to be making himself useful for a change." said Trixie. "It makes the Great and Powerful Trixie wonder why Sunset agreed to let him come along. It seems like he's just been little more than a burden to everypony around him."

"He's got potential, Trixie." said Radiant. "I'll bet you still remember how you were nothing but flashy tricks and idle boasting before my sister started coaching you on using magic?"

"Yes, Trixie does remember that." Trixie hissed. "But the Great and Powerful Trixie would appreciate that if you did not bring up the Great and Powerful Trixie's embarassing, not-so-great-and-powerful past!"

"Sounds fair to me, Trix." said Radiant. "I'm just saying, is all."

A very bruised and feather-covered Teddy galloped to them, knocking down a bunch of fence-posts as he went.

"Please! Make them stop! Make them stop!" he shouted, cowering on the ground.

The chickens that were chasing him were getting closer and closer, and Teddy was too tired to keep going. Fortunately, Fluttershy caught up to them and used "the stare" on the chickens, causing them to stop in their tracks and scurry back to the coop.

"Wooh!" Teddy sighed in relief. "Thanks, Fluttershy. You really saved me a trip to the hospital."

"But Teddy, you're so hurt now!" said Fluttershy. "I think you should come back with me and let me tend to your injuries."

"Look, it's a nice offer and all, but I'm not going back to that crazy rabbit of yours." said Teddy.

"I'm sure Angel doesn't really mean it!" said Fluttershy. "He just needs time to get to know you more, and then I'm sure the two of you will be the best of friends!"

"Sure, and monkeys will fly out of my butt." snarked Teddy.

He turned to Radiant and Trixie.

"How's it going, guys?" he said to them. "You don't mind if I hang out with you guys, do ya? Fluttershy's animal buddies don't seem to like me that much."

"Sure." said Radiant. "What do you think, Trixie?"

Trixie was fighting the urge to laugh at Teddy's previous predicament, but controlled herself when she realized Radiant was looking at him.

"Trixie approves." she said, simply.

A Visit to Ponyville, Part 3

Later that night, Sunset Shimmer and her family and friends went back to the Summerstar, and they invited Twilight and her friends for dinner. They all ate together in the lounge area. Even Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were brought along.

"Rainbow, I have to thank you for letting me read your Daring Do books." said Lightning Dust. "I can't believe Daring Do did such awesome stuff!"

"Yeah." said Rainbow Dash. "Daring Do is the bravest pony in all of Equestria!"

"She sure is." said Lightning. "I think I should tell her that the next time I see her."

Meanwhile, Nose Nip and Frosty were talking with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"So this one time, Frosty and I brought this guy to the summit of one of the Crystal Mountains." Nose Nip recounted. "And then when we get to the top, we found this thing, and he took it before we knew what it was. He just left Frosty and me at the top of the mountain without our climbing equipment."

"How'd you get down?" Scootaloo asked curiously.

"I had ta use my magic and make a giant snowball so that we could roll down ta the bottom in it." said Frosty.

The three fillies laughed.

"Hey, I'm completely serious!" said Frosty. "I even got a bad cold that didn't leave for three weeks afterward!"

But then the Cutie Mark Crusaders changed their minds.

"You know, I never thought the three of us would actually meet somepony that had a hammer for their cutie mark." Scootaloo told Nose Nip, looking at his sledgehammer-shaped cutie mark.

"Yep." said Nose Nip. "It shows that I was destined to be a mountain climber. I remember when I got it."

APPROX. TWENTY-ONE YEARS AGO...

The eight-year-old Nose Nip was learning how to construct a fishing-net with his father. He gave up after many unsuccessful attempts, and growled in frustration.

"I can't do it, dad!" he said. "I just can't do it!"

"Just try one more time, son." said his father.

"No thanks." Nose Nip said.

"I said try again!" said his father.

"No!" said Nose Nip. "I'm going outside, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

He ran out the door, and went to a nearby boulder. He decided to vent his frustration by punching the boulder.

"I don't wanna be catch any stupid fish!" he growled. "I don't wanna go on some dumb boat! I don't, I don't, I don't!"

He started hitting the boulder so hard, it started to crack. The more times he punched the boulder, the further the crack spread. Suddenly, the whole rock crumbled into hundreds of pieces.

"Nose Nip, come back and--" his father began as he ran up to his son. "By Celestia, did you do that, son?"

"Umm...yeah." Nose Nip said, hesitantly.

"That's incredible!" said his father. "And look! You've finally got your cutie mark!"

The young colt turned his head to look at his flank, which was occupied by a sledgehammer.

"Cool!" said Nose Nip. "My special talent's breaking stuff!"

PRESENT DAY...

"That's cool, I guess." said Scootaloo. "But I still don't think I'd want a hammer on my flank."

"Yeah, well who asked you?" grumbled Nose Nip under his breath.

Frosty turned and spoke to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"Ya wanna hear how I got my cutie mark?" he asked.

"Sure!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Well, I was just a little colt from Baltimare, when..."

EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO...

The ten-year-old Frosty was laying on his bed, completely bored.

"Frosty, will ya come down for dinnuh?!" his mother called down to him.

Frosty got off of the bed, and went downstairs.

"Okay, mom!" said Frosty. "I'm here, I'm here!"

After eating their dinner, Frosty's mother opened up a newspaper.

"Ooh, there's an art show at the town square!" she said. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Sure, mom." said Frosty. "I don't see why not!"

The two unicorns went to the art show, where many ponies were showcasing paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. Eventually, they came to an exhibit held by a gryphon native to Vanhoover named Blackjack Le Braque, who was standing next to a giant block of ice.

"Bonjour, Baltimare!" he said. "Watch, my little ponies, as I present you with the best art that you have ever seen!"

The ponies began murmuring, as Blackjack picked up an icepick and hammer, and struck the block of ice in several places. In ten minutes, the block of ice was shaped into a sculpture of himself.

"Voila!" he stated.

Several ponies applauded, including Frosty's mother. Frosty himself, however, did not seem impressed at all.

"Oh, come on!" the little unicorn colt whined. "You spent ten minutes makin' that thing!"

Several ponies gasped, and Blackjack heard Frosty's comment.

"Excuse me?!" he shouted. "Does someone think they can do better than Blackjack Le Braque?!"

The crowd parted, leaving Frosty in the middle with his mother.

"Yeah!" said Frosty, stepping forward. "Your art stinks!"

"Frosty, hush!" whispered his mother.

"Hang on, mom." said Frosty. "I gotta say somethin'!"

He cleared his throat.

"You make us spend ten minutes doin' nothin', and just so you can show off some stupid sculpture of yourself?! Boo! I want those ten minutes back! I could make a betta sculpture than that in my sleep!"

"Oh, is that so?" said Blackjack. "Then why don't you prove how talented you are, little monsieur?"

"Wait, what?" Frosty paused.

"We're all waiting, monsieur!" said Blackjack. "Don't keep your audience waiting!"

Frosty looked around at the crowd. Some of them looked upset at him for mouthing off Blackjack. Others were relatively indifferent.

"Come on, Frosty." said his mother. "Let's go home! You're gonna have a lot of thinking to do about what you did just now. Of all the nerve!"

"Hang on, mom." said Frosty. "Lemme try this!"

"Really?" asked his mother.

"Sure, this ain't gonna be a problem!" said Frosty.

The colt went up to a second block of ice that was wheeled in just for him. Blackjack mused about how Frosty would fail.

"Okay, let's do this." Frosty nervously muttered as he approached the block of ice.

He looked at the ice, and at the sculpting tools he was given. The whole world seemed to fall silent, watching him and waiting for him to slip up. He started breathing heavily Time seemed to pass ever so slowly for Frosty.

"Oh, for the love of--" said a pony in the crowd. "Just hit the stupid thing!"

Frosty winced, afraid he might mess up. Then he bit his lip, and prepared to strike the block of ice.

"I'm soooooo gonna mess this up!" Frosty cringed, closing his eyes.

Then he picked up a pickaxe, and hit the ice with all his might. The whole thing began to crack, to the surprise of the crowd.

"Aww, man!" said Frosty. "I did mess this up!"

Then when the cracks completely covered the block, it fell apart. The whole crowd, and even Blackjack gasped. Frosty opened his eyes to see what happened. He made, to his surprise...an ice sculpture of Princess Celestia. The whole crowd cheered, to the surprise of Frosty.

"Frosty, I'm so proud of you!" said his mother, who came up to personally congratulate him.

She gasped.

"You have your cutie mark!" she said.

Frosty looked at his flank, and saw there was an icepick-shaped image emblazoned on it.

"No way!" he said. "I'm a somepony now!"

"Sacre bleu!" said Blackjack Le Braque. "This cannot be! I have been outclassed by a mere youngster?!"

"In yo face, Frenchie!" Frosty pointed his hoof mockingly.

Blackjack let out a high-pitched, very girly-sounding scream, and flew off into the sky in shame.

PRESENT DAY...

"Wow, Frosty." said Scootaloo. "That was an awesome story!"

"I didn't know you were a sculptor, Frosty." said Radiant Dawn. "All this time, I thought you and Nose Nip were just very good mountain climbers."

"How come you haven't been doing more artwork if you're such a good sculptor?" asked Twilight.

"Uh, it didn't really cut it for me." said Frosty. "I may be a little guy, but I like doin' really big things. So that's why I moved to Vanhoover so that I could be a mountain climber. It sure is pretty darn exciting."

"And we've been in one crazy adventure after another." said Nose Nip. "All kinds of customers and destinations."

"But the real exciting stuff happened after we met all you guys." said Frosty. "When we fought the Changelings a buncha weeks ago, I was really whoopin' bug-butt!"

"And that whole trip we had to Las Pegasus." said Nose Nip. "Sunset Shimmer sure is a popular mare. I've never been blasted at, had stuff thrown at me, or been shot at before me and Frosty met her."

"Well, Sunset doesn't exactly have a track record for guaranteeing a safe, healthy relationship." said Twilight. "And I know that from personal experience."

"C'mon, Twilight." said Rainbow Dash. "We get caught in the middle of all sorts of crazy adventures, too."

"Good point." said Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer heard this, and turned to Nose Nip and Frosty.

"Look, I just want you two to know." she said. "If you, or anypony else here, feels like they're just putting themselves in danger just by being associated with me, then you don't have to...you know, go on adventures with me."

"Are ya kiddin'?" said Frosty.

"Yeah, why would we not want to be associated with you?" asked Nose Nip.

"I think a lot of us owe our lives to you." said Lightning Dust. "Myself included."

"And me, too." said Trixie.

"And you brought our family together, remember?" said Radiant Dawn.

"And there's no telling where I would've been if it weren't for you!" said Teddy. "I'd probably be back in Vanhoover, living my days as Gilda's punching-bag!"

"We'll follow you wherever you go!" said Nose Nip.

"No matter how dangerous..." said Lightning Dust.

"Or over-the-top..." said Trixie.

"Or whatever negative thing you can think about!" said Frosty. "We're with ya all the way!"

"Gee...thanks, guys." said Sunset.

"Sunset Shimmer, I should congratulate you for having such good and loyal friends." said Twilight.

"I agree with Princess Twilight." said Scarlet Blaze.

"Sunset, you've gathered quite an interesting set of characters around you." nodded Golden Sun.

"Ain't that the truth?" said Sunset, with a smarmy grin as she laid back in her seat.

Returning to Canterlot, Part 1

When the week came to an end, Sunset Shimmer and her friends prepared the Summerstar for a flight back to Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were there to see them off.

"Sunset Shimmer, we've had a great time together." Twilight said. "I had no idea spending time with you could be so incredible! All this time, I've really missed out on a good friend."

"So did I, Twilight." said Sunset.

"Which reminds me, Sunset." said Twilight. "Are you going to the Equestria Games? It's gonna be happening in a couple of weeks, after all. The Crystal Empire's gonna host them."

"I would, but I'm afraid that I'm gonna be preoccupied by Princess Luna's lessons." said Sunset.

"Well, that's too bad." frowned Twilight. "I was really looking forward to seeing you again."

"I'm sure that we can all come back to visit, Twilight." said Sunset.

"And bring as many of your friends with you as possible, okay?" Pinkie Pie intervened. "I've just had so much fun with them!"

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind, Pinkie." said Sunset.

"Oh, and I've got some sweets from Sugarcube Corner, for the flight back to Canterlot!" said Pinkie Pie. "I think you guys will love them!"

She ran off and brought back a huge bag fully of candy and pastries. It was so large that Nose Nip and Big Macintosh had to carry it on-board the Summerstar together.

"Thanks!" said Nose Nip to Big Mac. "I owe ya one."

"Eeyup." said Big Macintosh, who went back down the ramp to go back to Sweet Apple Acres.

At noon, the Summerstar lifted off into the air again, and was en route to Canterlot. In the lounge room of the zeppelin, Sunset and her friends examined the bag. It was full of taffy, jawbreakers, chocolate bars, peppermints, lemon bars, fudge brownies, lemon drops, cupcakes with chocolate-flavored frosting, blueberry muffins, apple-flavored lollipops, sticks of both black and red liquorice, small boxes of multi-flavored jelly beans, frosted donuts, churros, and various other mouth-watering sweets.

As tempted as they were to chow down on them right away, they all agreed to put them in various containers and dispensers in the lounge's mini-bar and save them for a later occasion. They all sat down and had a quick brunch that consisted of oatburgers, crepes, and orange juice, all prepared by Scarlet Blaze.

"Mmm!" said Golden Sun, after finishing his oatburger. "I've missed your cooking, honey!"

"Well, I thought I would take the time to make you all a decent meal." said Scarlet. "It's just my way of expressing gratitude for the fact that the whole family is back together."

"No problem, Ms. Blaze!" said Lightning Dust. "We'd do it again any other day!"

"Thank you, Lightning." said Sunset. "You guys really are the best friends I could ask for."

"You know, Sunny..." said Radiant. "Even though we're all back together, I still have a feeling we've been forgetting something. Something very important."

"Don't worry, we're on the way back to Canterlot, anyhow." said Sunset. "If we forgot to send any messages--which we did, heh heh heh--we'll be able to tell Princess Luna about it when we get there."

"No, I mean don't you remember that certain somepony that emerged from the portal a while back?" asked Radiant Dawn. "Shortly after the Chrysalis Syndicate did the same?"

Sunset then remembered.

"King Nelphyn?" she said. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot all about him."

She turned to her mother.

"Mom, are you familiar with a Saddle Arabian ruler from the distant past by the name of King Nelphyn?"

"Hmm...you know, I think that name is familiar." said Scarlet Blaze. "I think my grandfather--your great-grandfather--told me about this terrible Saddle Arabian tyrant that tormented all of Saddle Arabia hundreds of years ago."

"Any specific details on what he did?" asked Radiant.

"Unfortunately, I don't remember much apart from that." said Scarlet. "Sorry."

"I think I might be able to help you." said Golden Sun. "As a former professor of the University of Baltimare, I've done research on many ancient cultures. The old Saddle Arabian royal families being one of them."

"Do you know anything about King Nelphyn, dad?" asked Sunset Shimmer.

"I know that he disappeared a few centuries ago, shortly after being defeated by Princess Celestia." said Golden Sun.

"So what would happen if this guy came back and decided he wanted another shot at being king of Saddle Arabia."

"Well, then I'd say all of Saddle Arabia would be put into turmoil." said Golden Sun. "I studied his history in my second year as a professor, and just reading what that fellow did still gives me shivers."

"What kind of stuff did he do?" asked Radiant.

"I'd rather not go into detail." said Golden Sun, uneasily. "It's just too nerve-wracking for me to bring up here. but let's just say that he almost makes King Sombra look decent. Good thing he's not been seen again since his disappearance."

Sunset and Radiant looked at their father with blank expressions on their face, not blinking once.

"Oh, dear." Golden Sun said. "He's back, isn't he?"

Sunset and Radiant nodded.

"Well, we're all in trouble, then." Golden Sun said, bluntly. "We can only hope he isn't planning to do anything big soon."

King Nelphyn stood on the dunes of sand outside of Mareusalem. the capital city of Saddle Arabia. He had an ominous grin on his face.

"Now, the time has come for me to reclaim my title as ruler of this land." he said. "And with the Alicorn Amulet, I can guarantee...the revolution will not be civilized."

The Alicorn Amulet began to glow. The Maul-Ras rose out of the sand, growling viciously.

"Begin the assault." said Nelphyn. "Break down the gates. Scatter the guards. Capture the sultan. I will be king again!"

The Maul-Ras roared, then darted towards the front gates of the walled city. The climbed them, and went over the walls. The citizens all fled in a panic upon seeing the horrifying creatures. The city guards scrambled to respond to the attack, uttering Saddle Arabian battle-cries. There were around a dozen to each creatures, and all were holding spears and halberds. But the creatures were too strong for them, and scattered them, clawing them and throwing them into buildings.

King Nelphyn teleported into the plaza district, located in the middle of Mareusalem, and spoke amid the chaos:

"Citizens of Saddle Arabia, I have returned!" his voice echoed. "You will all bow down to your true ruler, King Nelphyn the Invincible! King Nelphyn the Unlimited! All will submit immediately, or face my devastating power!"

The Alicorn Amulet glowed, shining like a crimson star in the shaded plaza. Everyone in his presence either ran screaming, or stopped and bowed to him in submission.

Nelphyn removed his sunglasses, revealing his red-lit eye-sockets. He unleashed a fiery blast of red magical energy forth from his eyes, that torched several buildings and greatly injured or scorched several citizens. A squad of paladins was dispatched from the sultan's palace, and galloped down to stop the ancient tyrant. They dodged his deadly streams of fiery red energy, and leapt to tackle him to the ground. But he would not fall or even flinch. He hoof-punched one paladin, sending him careening into a stacked pile of barrels.

"Mortal fool." Nelphyn said.

He fired his eye-beams at the barrels, causing the contents within them to explode. The paladin was covered in the flames that ensued. He ran as fast as he could into a nearby fountain to douse the flames, and passed out from the extreme pain. Then he struck down two more paladins and threw them through windows of a nearby house. Then he leapt up to the roof, and smashed a hoof into it. He leapt off the building again, just as most of the structure collapsed on top of the two paladins, greatly wounding them.

"Do not waste my time." Nelphyn told the remaining paladins. "You will only waste your lives."

"We are not afraid of you!" said one of the paladins.

"You will be." said Nelphyn, simply.

He grabbed the paladin by the neck, and the Alicorn Amulet began glowing.

"You...will...be!" Nelphyn's voice deepened.

He opened his mouth, and a red blast of light fired from his jaws. It shot high into the sky like a fare, and triggered a sonic boom. Where the sonic boom occurred, a black cloud appeared and spread over Mareusalem. The entire cityscape was shrouded in darkness, as the clouds expanded. Locusts materialized from the clouds and swarmed throughout the nearby marketplace, consuming all food in sight. Many Saddle Arabians ran into the buildings to hide, others attempted to leave the city, only to be seized by the Maul-Ras and thrown into the fountains near the front gate.

"Do you believe you can defy me so easily?!" shouted Nelphyn to the paladin he was strangling. "Cross my path again, and you will be destroyed!"

He lifted up the paladin, and then threw him across the plaza. Nelphyn teleported out of the plaza, and reappeared at the front doors of the palace. He blasted down the doors, and stormed into the throne room. He blasted away every paladin and guard that obstructed his path as he approached the elderly sultan.

"I have returned to reclaim my throne!" said King Nelphyn. "Now stand aside, pretender, or you will suffer dearly!"

But the sultan was not intimidated.

"So you believe that by intruding upon my palace and threatening me that you are fit to rule Saddle Arabia?" said the sultan.

"Do you not know who you speak to?!"

"I neither know nor care who I speak to." said the sultan.

Nelphyn's eye-sockets blazed furiously.

"One chance." said King Nelphyn. "That's all I will give you. Stand aside, or face torment like you've never seen before!"

"I stand only where I belong." said the sultan. "And it is somewhere you do not."

"My thoughts exactly." said King Nelphyn.

Then the Alicorn Amulet glowed, and the entire roof and ceiling was blasted apart, exposing the throne room to the heavens. A streak of lightning shot down from the dark clouds and struck the amulet. In a series of flashes of light, the body of Nelphyn became covered in his Ancient Egyptian-esque armored apparel.

"The Princesses of Equestria will hear about this!" said the sultan. "No matter what you do here, they will surely undo it!"

"And I would really like to see them try." said Nelphyn. "Princess Celestia may have stopped me before, but she won't do it again! Not without the Elements of Harmony! Now, all of Saddle Arabia will remember the name of me: King Nelphyn!"

"It can't be you!" said the sultan. "You...you disappeared centuries ago! It's just not possible!"

"It is, and I am." said King Nelphyn.

Nelphyn's eye-sockets blazed even brighter, and a ray of scarlet light consumed the sultan. The elderly stallion then found himself in chains in his own palace's dungeons.

"No!" he moaned. "I can't believe this is happening! Not in my lifetime!"

Returning to Canterlot, Part 2

In the city of Mareusalem, King Nelphyn approached the top of the staircase that connected the plaza district to the palace. The Maul-Ras had rounded up the citizens there.

"Citizens of Saddle Arabia, as long as you all live, you will serve me!" he spoke in a booming voice. "If any refuse my rule, you will be enslaved! Attempt to escape, and you will be destroyed!"

Some of the townsponies murmured.

"And to enforce this, none shall be allowed to leave this city, except at my whim!" Nelphyn proclaimed.

The Alicorn Amulet glowed, and a blast of red lightning shot upwards from it. It triggered another sonic boom, and a field of bright red light spread across the skies. The field covered not only the entire city but everything within a twelve-mile radius of its walls in a transparent red dome.

Silver Schmitar and a trio of paladins, who were on the road back to Mareusalem from one of its neighboring cities, saw this.

"What is this devilry?!" said one of the paladins.

"Whatever it is, it spells danger for the rest of Saddle Arabia." said Silver Schmitar, turning to another paladin. "Felix, go to the other settlements! Scramble our armies! We are facing a major crisis, so don't waste any time!"

"Yes, sir!" said Felix, who ran back to the neighboring city.

"As for the rest of us..." said Silver Schmitar. "We must try to get into the city!"

"But sir, that could be very dangerous!" said the first paladin.

"We are paladins!" said Silver Schmitar. "We live off of danger! Now on to the city! For Mareusalem! For Saddle Arabia!"

Silver and the other paladins let out a battle-cry, and galloped to the city.

The next day, the Summerstar made it to Canterlot, and landed atop a cliff right outside of the city. A squad of royal guards was waiting for them. Both captains, Shining Armor and Star Shield, were at the head of the squad. Sunset Shimmer and her friends and family went down the ramp.

"Greetings, Sunset Shimmer." said Shining Armor, once Sunset made it to the bottom of the ramp. "We're here to welcome you back to Canterlot. My sister sent me a message telling me to expect you all to arrive by air. I didn't think you'd arrive in something that huge, though!"

"I appreciate it, captain." said Sunset.

"That is Lionel Summerset's airship, isn't it?" said Star Shield.

"That's right." said Sunset. "Where he's going to be spending his time, he sure isn't going to need it. So we decided to...um, borrow it so that we could all get back to Canterlot without having to pay extra expenses."

"Sounds fair enough to me, Miss Shimmer." said Star Shield. "Now, where is your brother?"

"Right here, sir." said Radiant, coming down with Lightning Dust. "It's been one heck of a week, but I'm ready to continue being a guard. I'm gonna do much more than I've done all month."

"I like this devotion you have, Lieutenant Dawn." Star Shield smiled. "Very well, you may continue your guard duties tonight."

"Thank you." said Radiant, with a salute.

Golden Sun and Scarlet Blaze went down the ramp, and beheld the city of Canterlot.

"I never thought I would come here." said Scarlet.

"Neither did I." said Golden Sun. "But still, I can't wait to pay the castle archives a visit."

"Ah, Professor Sun." said Star Shield. "It's good to see you are alive and well."

"Thank you, captain." said Golden Sun.

"Your son is one of my best guards." said Star Shield. "It is good to have a stallion of his caliber in our ranks. He and Miss Shimmer have done much for Canterlot."

Golden Sun turned to Captain Armor.

"Say, captain. would it at all be possible to visit the city's archives?" he asked him. "I have a little research to do."

"And I think I'll come along, too." said Sunset. "I mean, after I've met with Princess Luna."

"Of course." said Shining Armor. "I'll have a couple of couple escort you there right away."

"And I think I would like to see what my son does as a guard." said Scarlet.

"Very well, Ms. Blaze." said Star Shield.

She gave her the directions to the training area of the Night Guard.

Frosty, Nose Nip, and Teddy decided to go to the inn where Teddy was staying. There, they all decided to each have a bottle of cider.

"Look, I know I haven't been able to pay you guys back for that climbing-equipment, but I'm sure we can come to an agreement on something." said Teddy.

"Sure, whatever you say." said Nose Nip, unamused.

"I mean it." said Teddy. "I really wanna make it up to you guys somehow!"

"Really, well we'll just have we can do." said Frosty. "Right now, though...I just wanna freakin' drink."

Radiant Dawn went down to the training area, where several guards were sparring with each other. Gradually, they all stopped when they noticed him.

"All right, everypony!" he said. "I'm back from my vacation, and I'm ready to start training you all again! Now front and center!"

The guards all lined up and gave Radiant a salute.

"I've got a few new moves to teach you all." said Radiant.

All day, Radiant was not only instructing guards on how to fight, but personally sparring with them as well. Between his own size and strength and the Saddle Arabian combat style he learned from his mother, he was able to knock down several guards that were assigned to spar with him in mere seconds. For fighting moves that would likely cause serious injury to a live target, he used them on practice dummies that were lined up along the wall.

"Sir, this isn't fair!" said Moondancer, one of the night guards. "You're taller than all of us!"

"It's not the size, Moondancer." said Radiant. "It's what you do with it. Okay, now I think it's time that you try those moves on those training dummies."

He pointed at the row of dummies.

"Silver Shadow and Sky Boom, why don't you two give it a try?" he said.

"Yes, sir!" said Silver Shadow, approaching one of the dummies.

He leapt onto the dummy, grabbed it by the neck, and started hoof-punching the back of its head.

"Good work, Shadow!" said Radiant. "Sky, you're up next!"

"On it, Lieutenant Dawn, sir!" said Sky Boom.

She ran up to them, beating her wings, and jumped across them one by one, hoof-punching them each on the head as she went.

"Excellent!" said Radiant. "I see a promotion in store for you two in the near future."

"Yes, sir!" said Sky Boom and Silver Shadow at once.

"Bravo, son!" said a voice.

Radiant Dawn turned around and saw that Scarlet was standing behind him, clapping her hooves together.

"You're doing very good, son." said Scarlet. "You've really proven yourself as a guard."

"Thank you!" Radiant answered back.

"Sir, who is this civilian?" asked Crimson Cloud.

"This isn't just any civilian!" said Radiant. "She happens to be my mother Scarlet Blaze. Everything I know about fighting was taught to me or inspired by her."

The guards clamored enthusiastically, while Scarlet blushed.

"Son, you don't need to make such a big deal about it!" she said.

"Don't kid yourself, mom." said Radiant. "You remember, don't you?"

APPROX. SIXTEEN YEARS AGO...

It was the early afternoon at Daystar Manor, Scarlet Blaze was laying on her bed, trying to sleep. Radiant Dawn crept into her room, and whispered into his mother's ear:

"Mama, wake up! It's past two in the afternoon!"

Scarlet yawned, but didn't open her eyes.

"Son, no." she said. "Mommy needs her beauty sleep."

Then her eyes opened wide.

"Did you say it's past two in the afternoon?" she gasped. "Aww...I overslept again! I hate it when that happens!"

Scarlet climbed out of bed, grumbling frustratedly.

"So what do you want, son?" she asked the small colt in front of her.

"I was wondering if you should read me that book about those Saddle Arabian paladin guys again?" asked Radiant.

"Sorry, mommy's still too tired to read anything right now." said Scarlet.

"Aww..." Radiant grumbled. "But...but...I really wanna know more about what it's like to fight!"

"Well, then I guess I could do the next best thing." said Scarlet, getting out of bed. "Come with me!"

Scarlet led Radiant out into the forest outside of the estate, and using her unicorn magic, fashioned a set of training dummies out of various junk lying on the ground.

"Okay, son." said Scarlet, pointing at one of the dummies. "I want you to hit it."

Radiant looked at his mother, confused.

"Really, you want me to hit something?" he asked.

"Yes, son!" said Scarlet. "Punch it in the face with your front hooves!"

Radiant went up to the training dummy, and stood on his back legs. He punched forwards, and hit the dummy's face once.

"Good, son." said Scarlet. "Now hit it again."

Radiant nodded, then punched the dummy again.

"I did it, mom!" Radiant smiled.

"Now, let's try something a little harder." said Scarlet.

She used her unicorn magic to bring the dummy to life. It proceeded to charge towards Radiant, who yelled in shock and dove aside.

"Mom, what was that for?!" Radiant exclaimed.

"Don't worry, son!" said Scarlet. "It's not going to hurt you! You just have to stop it from moving!"

Radiant looked uncertainly at the dummy, which was galloping around the radius of the estate.

"Are ya sure, mama?" he asked.

"Yes!" said his mother. "I know you can do it!"

Radiant made a pose, spreading his legs out as if he were about to pounce. He looked at Scarlet, who nodded in approval. He looked back at the dummy, who was coming around again.

"Get yourself ready, son." said Scarlet.

The dummy was getting closer, and Radiant narrowed his copper eyes. He let out a tiny, but fierce battle-cry, and charged forwards. He leapt onto the dummy, and climbed up its side as it ran around.

"What now?!" Radiant shouted as the dummy ran.

"Try and get it to stop!" Scarlet shouted back.

Radiant turned and looked at the dummy's head. He put his hooves around its false neck and pulled on it as hard as he could. He pulled it so hard, that the dummy fell backwards to the ground, with Radiant underneath it. Scarlet gasped.

"Radiant, are you all right?!" Scarlet ran up to where her son and the dummy fell. "Please tell me you're okay! I don't know what I could tell your father if you're--"

But Radiant climbed from underneath the dummy, grabbed the head, and then broke it off.

"Here ya go, mama!" he said with a grin, holding up the broken head.

Scarlet and Radiant both laughed together.

"You've done well, son." said Scarlet. "Oh, and happy seventh birthday! Now let's go back inside, my darling little boy. I'll make some krembo, just for you."

"Mmmm!" Radiant licked his lips. "Thanks, mom! You're the best!"

PRESENT DAY...

"Okay, son." said Scarlet Blaze. "I'll admit it. I might have pushed you to your limits a bit."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way." said Radiant Dawn. "Come here and give me a hug, mom."

Radiant and Scarlet gave each other a hug. Some of the guards applauded, although a couple seemed awkward about this sight.

"Well, I've got to get going, son." said Scarlet. "I just wanted to check on you and your job."

"Actually, I was wondering if you'd stay to help me train the guards." said Radiant.

"I don't know..." said Scarlet.

"What'dya think?" Radiant said to the other night guards.

Many muttered or nodded in agreement.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt." said Scarlet. "As long as your captain is fine with it."

Then Radiant whispered into her ear:

"By the way, mom. Do ya still know how to make that krembo stuff? I miss eating it soooo much!"

"Sure, but I think I'll do it for a special occasion." Scarlet whispered back.

The Canterlot Archives

Sunset Shimmer was in the throne room with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

"Look, I just wanna say first, that I'm so sorry that I didn't send you any messages like I promised." said Sunset.

"You really worried me, Sunset." said Luna, sourly.

"And I bet you wanna let me have it, don't you?" said Sunset. "I wouldn't blame ya, either. I did get pretty side-tracked while in Las Pegasus."

But Luna sighed comfortably.

"I sometimes contemplate whether I should chastise a student for going out on their word." said Luna. "But I am just glad that you were able to return in one piece."

"And I am, too." said Celestia. "And you've really impressed me, Sunset Shimmer. You managed to take on one of the most powerful non-royal ponies in Equestria without any help from us or the guards."

"And I was also able to bring my entire family back together, after we were all separated for so long." said Sunset.

"And for that, I congratulate you." said Celestia. "I don't think anypony could understand more than me what it is like to be separated from one's family for such a lengthy period of time. So it warms my heart to see a family be brought back together."

"I share this feeling too, sister." said Luna.

"I just wish that Lionel Summerset understood that." said Sunset. "Family and friendship are two very important factors of life. Instead of embracing them, he tossed them aside in favor of power and control. He only wanted to improve Las Pegasus to fit his own designs, not to help its citizens. If he exhibited true sympathy for others, my family would've come back together a lot quicker."

"A very wise thing to say, Sunset." said Luna. "And very true, too."

"But I don't think he'll get a chance to try again any time soon, since he's in prison." said Sunset. "Unless you count community service."

"We will just have to see how time unfolds." said Celestia.

"And if it's alright, could I go to the archives?" asked Sunset. "I've got some catching up to do with my dad."

"Permission granted, my student." said Luna.

"Thanks!" said Sunset, turning to leave.

She went down to the archives, where her father was busy reading a few old books about Saddle Arabian legends and lore.

"Hello, my dear." said Golden Sun. "I'm just reading these books to make sure that my knowledge of Saddle Arabia isn't rusty. I was thinking of going there someday."

"You don't plan on battling King Nelphyn, do you?" asked Sunset, concerned.

"Heavens no!" said Golden Sun. "I was hoping to go there for research purposes. There are a lot of old stories from that land that have yet to be verified, after all."

"But you just recently got reunited with me and the rest of the family." said Sunset. "Don't you want to take it easy at all?"

"Of course, daughter." said Golden Sun. "But it doesn't mean I don't want to at least keep my experience as a professor from going to waste! Would you like to read some of these books with me, Sunset? You may be able to learn more about your mother's ancestors."

"Okay, I don't see why not." said Sunset, taking a seat and reaching for a book.

The book she grabbed had a black cover and read, in gold letters, 1,001 Saddle Arabian Nightmares. Sunset opened up the book and saw that it was a book about the various monsters said to inhabit Saddle Arabia, and contained a collection of stories that featured them.

Meanwhile in Saddle Arabia, it was a few hours past midnight when Silver Schmitar and his two companions reached the edge of the red-tinted dome of energy around Mareusalem. The three circled the radius, searching for a way in. One of the paladins, a twenty-five-year-old stallion named Green Sabre, hoof-punched the dome, causing the surface of the dome to shimmer and flicker. But it did not fade. He tried again and again, to no avail.

"Sabre, be careful!" said Silver Schmitar. "We have no idea what the one who placed that dome over the city has planned."

"But there's something about this magic that confuses me!" said Green Sabre.

"And that's what concerns me!" said Silver Schmitar. "I suggest backing away immediately!"

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared on the inside of the dome, and the dark form of King Nelphyn materialized.

"Who dares intrude upon my territory?!" he said to them.

"So you are the one that placed this shield over our city?!" said Silver Schmitar. "Explain yourself, sorcerer!"

"Sorcerer? I am no mere magician!" said King Nelphyn. "I am a king whose power is unparalleled! I am the true ruler of this nation!"

"We answer only to the sultan, you pretender!" said Green Sabre.

"Your sultan is the pretender!" said King Nelphyn. "His rule is but a cheap imitation of a true leader's. If you wish to serve that old fool, then you may join him in imprisonment!"

A red flash of light sprang from the Alicorn Amulet, and Green Sabre vanished.

"And now I give you two a mere twenty seconds to flee." said King Nelphyn. "Before I send my minions to hunt you down."

"You are a monster!" said Silver Schmitar.

"And you are a fool that does not know a chance to escape when he sees one." retorted Nelphyn.

"You will be overthrown!" said Silver Schmitar. "The armies of Saddle Arabia are gathering as we speak!"

"Twelve seconds."

"We will meet again!" Silver Schmitar said.

He and the other paladin turned around and galloped over the sand dunes. King Nelphyn's eyes and the Alicorn Amulet glowed.

"Soldiers of the ancient world, come to me!" Nelphyn's voice boomed.

From the sand underneath the dome, nearly a dozen shadowy equine figures appeared. They were all wearing dark cloaked armor and wearing full-face helmets. They revealed their bat-like wings and flew into the sky, soaring seamlessly through the dome. They chased after the two paladins.

Silver Schimtar and the other paladin galloped on, in spite of Nelphyn's ghostly warriors divebombing them like a murder of ravenous crows.

"Keep galloping!" he shouted to his companion. "They can't chase us forever!"

But then one of the winged warriors struck down the paladin, and pinned him to the sand.

"Chrome Shield!" Silver Schmitar shouted in response.

He tackled the warrior pinning down Chrome, and broke its head off. The warrior evaporated into a black vapor.

"What kind of creatures are these?!" said Silver Schmitar.

Chrome Shield got back up, and knocked the head off of another of King Nelphyn's soldiers, and it vanished like the first. The two paladins were back to back and fended off the rest of the warriors, destroying them one by one. When all of them were eliminated, the two paladins took a breather.

"I don't know what these things are..." panted Chrome Shield. "But I'm glad we are rid of them."

"Wait...something doesn't seem right." said Silver Schmitar, looking at the ground.

The patch of sand they were standing on was considerably darker than the rest of the desert around them. And it was getting darker and darker by the second.

"What in the name of--" said Chrome Shield.

Dark shapes emerged from the sand, and took pony-shapes once more. However, they all lacked wings, but a handful gained curved horns instead.

"They can regenerate?!" exclaimed Chrome.

"How unfortunate for us." said Silver.

The two stallions prepared for a final stand. Suddenly, the first ray of sunlight appeared over the eastern sand dunes. The shadowy warriors saw this, and melted back into the sand. The shadowy patch scattered and faded. The two stallions stood there in surprise as the sun rose.

"What were those things?" asked Chrome.

"I don't know for certain." said Silver. "But we now have a chance to escape."

"But what about that evil king? And the sultan? And Green Sabre, and all the citizens of Mareusalem?"

"They will have to wait for now." said Silver Schmitar. "We need to find Felix, and hope that he has those armies gathered! The fate of Saddle Arabia depends on it!"

"Then let's waste no time!" said Chrome.

And then the two paladins galloped on westwards, as the sun's rays brightened the desert.

It was late at night, and Sunset was still reading her book. She stopped at the entry of one creature that seemed particularly interesting.

"Hmm...shadow-ponies." Sunset read aloud. "'These spectral creatures assume equine shapes, and are able to regenerate themselves as long as the sun is not in the sky; the sun weakens them greatly and forces them into hiding. The typical shadow-pony has the option of taking the shape of an earth pony, a unicorn, or a pegasus. But it must rotate between these three forms every time one is destroyed.'"

She set the book down for a moment, and looked at her father, who just set down his own book.

"Think those exist?" asked Sunset. "Because I'd sure hate to meet one of those in a dark alley."

"I can't say for certain, Sunset." said Golden Sun. "But I agree that they do seem like they could be a potential threat."

He closed the book he was reading.

"So if I were to go to Saddle Arabia, would you like to come with?" asked Golden Sun.

"I don't know." said Sunset. "I'm still a little unwilling about ever leaving Equestria again, in case there's a repeat of what happened in the human world. Plus, I really don't find being of Saddle Arabian descent all that fascinating. If mom and Radiant like being part Saddle Arabian, that's fine. But I just don't see why it would make me so special. I've proven I can be unique and respected without bringing up the fact that I'm descended from a bunch of tall ponies. I'm not even tall myself, so why should it matter to me?"

"Well, I suppose it depends on how you decide to live your life." said Golden Sun.

"Well, whatever's the case, I'm just a very talented unicorn from Vanhoover, and nothing else. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."

"Very well, my dear daughter." said Golden Sun. "Still, a little adventure never hurt anypony."

"Well, I've been on a few adventures myself, and they usually turn out to be more than I bargained for." said Sunset.

"That's how most adventures turn out, Sunset." said Golden Sun. "That's what makes the experience worthwhile."

"Good point." said Sunset, getting out of her seat. "See ya later, dad. I bet Princess Luna's got another lesson for me."

"See ya later, my little angel." said Golden Sun, softly and with a smile as Sunset left the archives.

Crisis in Saddle Arabia

Silver Schmitar and Chrome Shield galloped on through the Saddle Arabian desert, the hot sun burning down upon them. They were becoming more and more fatigued by the hour. If it weren't for the intense training they went through to become paladins, they would surely have collapsed and their fates would belong to the buzzards by that point.

"I still cannot believe we've been chased away from our own city!" said Chrome Shield. "I've never felt so dishonored in all my life."

"Sometimes, it is good to retreat." said Silver Schmitar. "It gives one an opportunity to regroup and plan their strategy."

"And I can't believe we left Green Sabre like that!" said Chrome. "With that...evildoer."

"I trust that he will be okay." said Silver. "Sabre is one of my most resourceful paladins. I should know, since I trained him personally."

They kept traveling along the desert, becoming more and more dehydrated, until...

"Silver, look!" said Chrome Shield, pointing ahead. "There is an oasis in the distance."

And he was correct; they could see a small body of water surrounded by vegetation.

"Hold on, Chrome." said Silver Schmitar. "It may be a mirage."

"We may collapse from heatstroke even if we don't check." said Chrome.

"Then let us investigate it." said Silver.

The two paladins made it to the oasis, which was indeed genuine, and sighed in relief. They rested themselves in the shade of its trees, and drank from its waters. But their rest was interrupted when they heard lead hoof-falls and heavy breathing, followed by a series of large shadows looming over them. The two paladins vigilantly turned around, to see a group of minotaurs standing and facing them, all wielding swords and axes. Some were wearing togas, and others had Greek-styled bronze armor.

"How dare you intrude on our oasis and pilfer our precious drinking-water?!" said one of the minotaurs, raising a sword.

"We're going to do to you two what we do to all thieves:" growled another minotaur, raising a two-handed axe. "Behead them!"

"Wait!" said Chrome Shield. "This is a misunderstanding! We are not thieves! We are in need of help!"

"Clearly, you do..." said a third minotaur, whose face was scarred around the left eye. "You need to learn the hard way that thieving is a serious crime!"

"We're not thieves!" said Silver. "We are paladins of the sultan of Mareusalem! A tyrant has seized our city and we need assistance!"

"Likely story." growled the scarred minotaur.

The minotaurs circled the paladins and poised to strike. Suddenly, there was a loud galloping, and several other Saddle Arabians in attire similar to the kind worn by Silver and Chrome attacked the minotaurs. They quickly overpowered their bipedal adversaries, and sent them running. Silver recognized the newcomers as his fellow paladins.

"You all arrived at the right time." said Silver Schmitar. "Mareusalem has been seized, and the sultan is in dire need of his guardians!"

"How did you find us, though?" Chrome Shield asked the paladins.

"A paladin's intuition." said Felix, who emerged from the group of newcomers. "I sent word to the other cities about what happened in Mareusalem. And then I came back here with as many paladins as Bridylon could spare."

"Very good thinking, Felix." said Silver. "We will need all the help we can get for what is in store for us."

"Why?" asked Felix. "What is happening?"

Then Silver, Chrome, and Felix sat down by the water, and spoke about what the former two discovered.

"I cannot believe it." said Felix, surprised and horrified. "Could it be...that King Nelphyn has returned?"

"Who is King Nelphyn?" asked Chrome Shield.

"He is a terrible monster in pony form." said Felix. "He ruled Saddle Arabia many centuries ago, using the power of an artifact known as the Alicorn Amulet. He forced our people to fight to the death against anyone or anything he chose. He was a true tyrant."

"But what happened?" asked Chrome Shield. "Why did he cease to rule?"

"He chose to declare war on Princess Celestia and her kingdom in Equestria." said Felix. "But the princess caught wind of his actions and flew to Saddle Arabia to personally do battle with him. She used the Elements of Harmony to strip the Alicorn Amulet from his body. But a mysterious force prevented the Elements from doing much else. I don't know what it was, but it certainly can't be anything friendly to Saddle Arabians, or any ponies for that matter. After that, King Nelphyn vanished into the unknown, never to be seen again. Until now, apparently."

"Just how did Princess Celestia learn about King Nelphyn's plans, though?"

"One of King Nelphyn's high-ranking servants, a stallion named Maroon Inferno, sent a message to Princess Celestia informing her of Nelphyn's plans." said Silver Schmitar. "He defected to her as soon as she arrived. He was made a hero in both Equestria and Saddle Arabia."

"What happened to him, though?" asked Felix.

"They say that he went with Princess Celestia back to Equestria." said Silver. "From what I heard, he became one of the princess's finest royal guards, and started a family there."

"I wonder if any of his descendants still live." said Chrome. "Because I have a feeling that we might need their help."

"I agree completely." said Silver. "But it would take days, even weeks, for us to send a message to Equestria. Felix, I want you to be the one that delivers the message, by any means necessary. Do you accept this task?"

"Yes, sir." said Felix. "Of course!"

Felix pulled out an object from his saddle-bag. It was hoof-brace with a blade attached.

"No paladin should go without it." said Felix, giving it to Silver Schmitar before giving another to Chrome Shield. The two equipped themselves with their hoof-blades, and made a combat stance.

"And now, I take my leave." said Felix, with a bow.

He turned and galloped westwards out of the oasis.

"Silver, do you really think that even if we had an army of paladins behind us, that we would stand a chance against King Nelphyn and his magic?" asked Chrome Shield.

"I don't know for certain." said Silver Schmitar. "But one thing is certain: attacking Mareusalem at night would be a hopeless fight as long as those shadowy creatures are under Nelphyn's control."

"Then what should we do?" asked Chrome.

Silver turned to the other paladins.

"Send word to the other paladins." he said. "Maintain a perimeter around Mareusalem. Hold it until either help arrives...or Nelphyn makes his move."

King Nelphyn stood in the throne room of the Palace of Mareusalem. He was deep in thought. The voice of Saegmuntitus was speaking to him once more.

"So you have seized the great city of Mareusalem, my omnipotent--but loyal--agent." said the deep, menacing voice of the Ram King. "Are you now ready to resume the task I long ago set out for you?"

"I'm afraid my own mission is not yet complete." said Nelphyn. "Not until all of Saddle Arabia is under my hoof once more. Not until the infidels that have been raised under that foolish sultan's dominion are re-educated or destroyed. Not until I prove that I am as powerful as any alicorn, will I have completed my mission."

"You test my patience, King Nelphyn al-Duroc." said the Ram King. "I bid that you test it no further, or drastic measures will be taken. You may have find that there are others in this world that would proudly emasculate one as powerful as you."

"I do not fear the princesses, master." said Nelphyn. "Nor any earth pony, unicorn, or pegasus under their rule."

"Perhaps not, but I was not referring to them." said Saegmuntitus. "But you will have that I have gathered a most formidable ensemble of minions of my own. Each more deadly than the last. Indeed, one of them already has a plan of his own in action, that shall come into fruition soon enough."

"And who, pray-tell, would this other agent be?" asked Nelphyn, feigning concern.

"One who you had better hope I do not send your way." said Saegmuntitus. "As I said before, he has no love for pony-kind. And that includes you. If he comes after you, even Tartarus will seem like a haven to you."

"I do not fear him or anyone else that you command." said Nelphyn.

"Only time will tell." said Saegmuntitus. "But by all means, complete your task. But I will have to ask you to relocate yourself soon. I can tell you have already risked drawing unwanted attention to yourself."

"I do not fear the Saddle Arabians." said Nelphyn. "Let them bring all the soldiers they wish and assemble the greatest jihad this nation has ever seen. They will be a wave of water against a wall of stone."

Suddenly, Nelphyn felt a horrifying mental pain that made his cry out in agony. He had a vision of a tall bipedal figure. The figure had clawed hands, two curved horns on his head, long hairy legs with black-hooved feet, bright red-golden eyes that glinted even in the blackness that surrounded him, a bestial muzzle with a black-and-gold ring piercing his nostrils, and a multi-layered shadowy cloak like a black fleece. He was floating with his legs crossed, floating in a dark shadowy void with neither end, top, nor bottom in sight. He was holding a long back staff with four prongs at the end, standing across from each other like the battlements of a tower.

"Do not underestimate your enemies." spoke the figure, in that same deep voice. "Nor should you underestimate me. You understand this, do you not?"

"Yes, master." said Nelphyn, still groaning. "What ought I to do?"

"Seek the ruins of your old lair." said Saegmuntitus. "There, you will control your minions in solitude. Mareusalem will be too obvious a target for those who wish to stop you."

"I will see to this soon, O Saegmuntitus." said King Nelphyn al-Duroc.

Then the vision faded and Nelphyn was back in his throne room. He took a moment to reflect on what his master told him, then went to the palace's rock gardens. He used the Alicorn Amulet to construct a group of twelve-foot-tall golems out of the boulders there, and then spoke to it:

"Patrol the streets. Let none leave nor enter the city."

And then the golems slowly marched out of the gardens and went through the palace.

Nelphyn teleported to the entrance of the palace. He looked down on the city he had conquered.

"What has occurred here shall only be the beginning!" Nelphyn spoke loudly to the citizens below. "Let it be known that I, King Nelphyn, shall never stop, until all of Saddle Arabia is under my control once again! Soon enough, every city, every village, ever oasis will share this city's fate! All laws will be defined by me, and me alone! All resistance will be crushed! All whose views contradict my own must be re-educated if they wish to survive! So sayeth Nelphyn al-Duroc, the true master of the deserts!"

The Alicorn Amulet glowed once again, and King Nelphyn disappeared in a flash of red light.

Family Matters

Nearly a week-and-a-half had passed since the trip to Las Pegasus, and Sunset Shimmer decided to meet her family at Donut Joe's shop at noon. They all sat together at a table. After eating a few donuts from a platter brought to them by Donut Joe himself, they decided to talk to each other.

"So how are things going with everypony?" Sunset asked.

"Well, I've been catching up on recent Equestrian history from the past fifteen years." said Golden Sun. "And I really wish I was around to see it happen. Did you know there was a Parasprite invasion of both Ponyville and Fillydelphia a couple of years ago?"

"Parasprites, huh?" said Radiant Dawn. "Bothersome little bugs. I had a run-in with those things when I was eighteen. Took five days to get them all outta Daystar Manor--Um...anyway, being a guard is great right now. And mom's really helped me keep those guards in line."

"Oh, please." said Scarlet Blaze. "I barely did a thing after the first couple of days, son. This is all you."

"Tell me, mom." said Sunset to Scarlet. "You don't mind if I don't feel enthusiastic about being part Saddle Arabian, do you?"

Scarlet looked at her daughter.

"I mean, I don't wanna sound disrespectful of my heritage or anything..." said Sunset, quickly.

"C'mon, Sunny." said Radiant, looking rather down-turned. "The Saddle Arabians are the most--"

"No, it's completely fine." said Scarlet. "You know, Sunset. I once wasn't all that interested in my ancestry either, when I was little. But when I was older, I was able to appreciate my lineage. And I can already tell your brother's already done so."

"You got that right, mom!" said Radiant.

"I will say, though, that Saddle Arabians are a very proud breed of pony." said Scarlet. "Can you honestly say, Sunset, that you haven't felt an ounce of pride in your life?"

Sunset frowned.

"Yes." she said. "Unfortunately, I have felt an ounce of pride. Actually, more like a metric ton of pride. And it almost ruined my life and made me into an absolutely terrible individual."

Her eyes started to water. Golden Sun reached over to place a comforting hoof on Sunset's shoulder.

"It's okay, Sunset." he said. "What's past is past, and I trust you've more than made up for your actions in the past. You know, your mother actually wasn't the most well-rounded mare, either."

"Goldy!" snarled Scarlet, snapping her head in her husband's direction and bending over him as if she were about to bite his head off.

"I'm only speaking the truth, sweetheart." said Golden Sun.

"I know, I know." said Scarlet, sighing. "I just tend to be a little sensitive when others talk about me when I'm not part of the conversation."

"Fair enough." said Golden Sun.

"Just out of curiousity, daddy." said Sunset. "Why did you marry mom, anyway?"

"Well, it's not because she's of Saddle Arabian descent, if that's what you and Radiant were wondering." said Golden Sun. "It's for three prime reasons: One, she was the most beautiful mare I had ever met."

Scarlet blushed, but said nothing.

"Two, because I admired her sassy attitude and fiery temper." Golden Sun continued. "In fact, she even reminded me of a dragon at times. A very beautiful and ladylike dragon."

Scarlet quietly snickered to herself.

"And three, because the two of us had a very interesting dynamic."

"What kind of dynamic, dad?" asked Radiant.

Golden Sun took a deep, clear breath.

"Well, I'm gonna be the first to admit that I'm not exactly the most aggressive pony around. I'm more of the polite and intellectual type of pony who doesn't resort to violence unless dire circumstances rule out a peaceful resolution. Scarlet, on the other hand, is the strong, assertive, and courageous type. If one of us fails at something, the other could do things the other way."

"In other words, children." said Scarlet. "He's the brains, and I'm the brawn. Not that I don't have any brains of my own, of course. And if you're wondering why I agreed to marry him, even though he's not royalty, or a strong warrior, or even remotely athletic."

"Hey!" droned Golden Sun, turned to his wife with wide eyes.

"I'm only speaking the truth, sweetheart." Scarlet responded, mirroring her husband's quote. "It's because of how smart and resourceful he is, and the fact that he can be a real gentlecolt at times."

Scarlet bent down and affectionately licked Golden Sun on the cheek.

"And so cute, too." Scarlet whispered as she pulled her head back, before adding aloud: "He's almost like a child, how innocent and care-free he is. You know, sweetie I remember one time, you fell asleep while studying your books, and I had to..."

"Put you on my back, and carry you to the bedroom." Scarlet and Radiant said at once.

Scarlet Blaze turned to her son.

"I did the same thing with Sunset last month." explained Radiant Dawn. "Remember, Sunny? You were helping me with that paperwork?"

"Um....kinda." said Sunset Shimmer, hesitantly.

"I guess we really do take after you two, don't we?" grinned Radiant, turning to his parents, and then his sister. "Think about it, Sunny: Dad's the smart parent, mom's the tough parent, you're the smart kid, and I'm the tough kid."

"You know, you're right about that, Red!" chuckled Sunset.

"I still remember that days I gave birth to you two." said Scarlet.

APPROX. TWENTY-THREE YEARS AGO...

Scarlet, after recovering from the delivery of her first child, went into the ward with her husband. The nurse showed them to the basket that held their newborn son: A small reddish-orange foal with red-and-orange tufts of hair growing from his scalp. The foal opened his eyelids, revealing two bright copper eyes.

"Aww, he's so adorable..." sighed Scarlet. "I think I'll call him...Red Dawn."

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of Radiant Dawn." said Golden Sun.

"That's a good name too, I guess." said Scarlet, reluctantly.

Radiant Dawn cooed gently.

"I guess he likes the name." said Golden Sun.

"Hi, little guy." said Scarlet, leaning over her son. "Who's your mommy? That's right! It's me!"

Radiant started chortling and reaching up to touch his mother's face. Scarlet telekinetically picked up her son, and cradled him in her front hooves, where he quickly fell asleep again.

"Aaaaawwwwww..." mused Golden Sun.

PRESENT DAY...

"And after that, we moved out of Baltimare and moved into your father's family's home at Daystar Manor." finished Scarlet.

"It's so weird to me, knowing I used to be so small." said Radiant.

"That reminds me, dad." said Sunset. "What were your parents like?"

Golden Sun sighed.

"Well, they were...well." said Golden Sun. "Well, my parents were of a rich and powerful family. Made me study hard, and..."

"Could you tell me about when I was born?" asked Sunset.

"Oh, I remember that one perfectly." said Golden Sun. "Well, you definitely did a lot of crying, from what the doctors told me."

"Almost shattered my eardrums, in fact." added Scarlet. "As if you didn't want to be in the same room as me."

"But once you saw me, Sunset, you were so quiet and peaceful." said Golden Sun. "You didn't even cry once whenever I held you."

"I guess Sunset gravitated towards you more than she did mom." said Radiant. "Like how I used to only care about mom, and nopony else."

"I suppose you're right, my boy." said Golden Sun.

"Oh!" said Radiant. "Could you skip ahead to the part where I first saw Sunset?"

"I don't see why not, son." said Golden Sun.

APPROX. TWENTY YEARS AGO...

Golden Sun went into the ward, followed by Scarlet Blaze, who was carrying their three-year-old son on her back.

"Are you ready to meet your new sister, little Radiant?" asked Scarlet.

"I don't wanna!" pouted Radiant. "I don't want no stupid sister!"

"Don't be difficult, son." said Scarlet. "Listen, if you behave yourself, I'll get you some candy on the way back to the mansion."

"Aww...okay, mama." said Radiant, reluctantly.

When they all went inside. They came to a basket at the end of the row. An amber-colored foal with a curly lock of red-and-blonde hair was snoozing peacefully. She had the most adorable face they had ever seen.

"I'd say she inherited your good looks, Scarlet." said Golden Sun.

"I agree." said Scarlet. "She is--"

"Lemme see, lemme see!" said an annoyed Radiant, climbing onto the basket. He took a look into it, and gazed on his infant sister's face. All hostility he had towards having another sibling had disappeared. He was now positively beaming at her.

"Awww, she's so cute!" he said, attempting to climb in to join his sister.

But Scarlet used her telekinesis to lift Radiant away from the basket before it could happen.

"Radiant, your sister's trying to sleep!" said Scarlet. "Don't be nosy!"

"Sorry, mama." said Radiant, sadly. "I just wanted to look at her."

Golden Sun's horn glowed, and his baby daughter was levitated into his front hooves.

"Here you go, son." he told Radiant. "Now you can look at her. Be gentle and quiet, though."

Radiant Dawn looked at his baby sister with a wide smile on his face.

"So what's her name?" he asked.

"Sunset." said Scarlet. "Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset slowly opened her eyes, which were a bright bluish-green.

"Hi, Sunny." said Radiant Dawn, softly. "Looks like I'm gonna be your brother, huh? I'm Radiant Dawn."

"Red...red..." cooed the baby Sunset.

Their parents stood their in surprise.

"Her first word?" asked Scarlet, ecstatic. "And she's only a week old!"

"No, Sunny. I'm Radiant Dawn, not Red. Radiant." said Radiant Dawn.

"No! Red!" squealed Sunset. "Red! You red!"

"Yeah, I'm red." said Radiant, looking at his coat color.

"Red Dawn!" giggled Sunset. "I like red! I like red!"

"And I like you too, Sunny." Radiant laughed. "Let your big brother give ya a hug!"

Radiant put his stumpy front hooves around his baby sister, who slowly hugged him back.

PRESENT DAY...

Sunset Shimmer sat there, completely sheepish and flustered.

"Okay, admit it." she said to her father. "You made most of that up. That sounded way too good to be true. Sugarcoated, even."

"I think you're right." said Scarlet. "Because I distinctly remember this happening afterward..."

APPROX. TWENTY YEARS AGO...

Sunset's horn started to glow with a bluish-green aura, and hot sparks shot from her horn into Radiant's face. He fell backwards and started crying. Sunset, not yet understanding the concept of pain, started chortling in amusement, to the dismay of both of their parents.

"Bad girl!" growled Scarlet. "Bad! You do not use magic to hurt your brother!"

Sunset started to whimper.

"Scarlet, she's only a baby!" said Golden Sun. "She doesn't know better."

Sunset showed remorse and guilt from this. But then she had an idea materialize in her mind, probably the first idea she ever had in her life. She caught sight of a nearby box of tissues, and levitated to drop it between Radiant and herself. She took a tissue out of the box, and gave it to Radiant, with a smile on her face.

"Sorry, Red." she squeaked.

Radiant stopped crying, and wiped his face with the tissue.

"I no hurt Red any more." said the baby Sunset. "Promise!"

"I won't hurt you, neither." said Radiant.

PRESENT DAY...

"Okay, that was a little more believable." said Sunset. "But could we please stop this? I love you all so much, but I'm seriously getting 'cuteness overload' from this whole conversation."

"Okay, daughter." said Golden Sun. "What would you like to talk about, instead?"

"Actually, I've got to go." said Sunset. "I'm gonna check on my friends."

Sunset climbed out of her seat and left the donut shop.

"Duty calls." Radiant remembered, climbing out of his own seat. "I've got more new recruits to train! See ya later, mom and dad!"

"Bye, son." said Golden Sun.

The Crisis Continues, Part 1

Radiant Dawn and Lightning Dust were standing in a corridor near the throne room.

"So how'd it go, Lightning?" asked Radiant.

"I got a promotion!" said Lightning. "Now I'm a 2nd Lieutenant. Now I can train and find new recruits for the Shadowbolts."

"Well, that's great!" said Radiant. "So what're you gonna do now?"

"Well, there's a new training exercise later tonight." said Lightning. "I think I'm gonna get ready for it, when I start training everypony."

"Good luck, Lightning." said Radiant Dawn.

Lightning Dust hovered into the air, and licked Radiant affectionately on the cheek.

"See ya later, my Saddle Arabian dreamboat!" she said slyly, before flying around the corner.

Radiant blushed for a moment, then turned around. He wound up bumping into Shining Armor.

"Oops, sorry!" Radiant said as soon as he recognized who he collided with.

"It's okay, Radiant." said Shining Armor. "I was a little distracted myself."

"Why, is something on your mind?" asked Radiant.

"Yeah, the Equestria Games are what's on my mind." said Shining Armor. "I just got back from supervising the Vanhoover relay team. Boy, were they a lot to deal with. Then again, an all-gryphon team is gonna be a lot for anypony to work with."

"Shame that we don't have too many pegasi living in that town." agreed Radiant Dawn. "I have a feeling they'd be a lot easier...by the way, you didn't have any trouble with a certain gryphon named...Gilda...did you?"

"Well, they was this one female gryphon watching the exercises that complained to me that a gryphon should've been the one supervising the relay team."

"Yeah, that does seem like something she'd do." commented Radiant.

"Why, do you know her?" asked Shining Armor.

"Yeah, I used to date her for a few days." said Radiant. "I'd rather not talk about it, though. You understand, right?"

"No problem, Radiant." said Shining Armor. "By the way, I just got a letter from my sister telling me she made friends with your sister!"

"That's pretty good to know, huh?" asked Radiant.

"It sure is!" said Shining Armor. "And you and Sunset finally found both of your parents, right?"

"That's right." confirmed Radiant.

"My and Twilight's parents live here in town." said Shining Armor. "I was wondering if maybe they'd like to...you know...meet each other?"

"I think it would be great." said Radiant. "By the way, I haven't seen Flash Sentry around lately..."

"That's because I sent him back to the Crystal Empire to help supervise the preparations for the Equestria Games." said Shining Armor.

"Excuse me, gentlecolts?" said a rough voice.

"Ah, Captain Star Shield!" said Radiant, turning around.

"I trust that you two are having a pleasant afternoon?" asked Star Shield, looking as grim as usual.

"A very pleasant afternoon, sir." said Radiant, with a salute.

"At ease, lieutenant." said Star Shield.

"We were just talking about your son." said Shining Armor.

"Is that so?" asked Star Shield. "And what makes Flash the object of interest for today?"

"Wait a minute..." said Radiant Dawn. "Flash Sentry's your son?"

"That's right." said Star Shield.

"That's...interesting." said Radiant. "How come I didn't know that until just now?"

"Well, it's because I prefer to keep things on a professional level." explained Star Shield. "I must treat my guards as potential equals. If I were to acknowledge that my own son was a guard, that would inspire favoritism."

"Yeah, Flash would keep requesting more and more promotions." agreed Shining Armor, talking to Radiant. "He only made lieutenant because he earned the rank, and not because he happens to be the former captain's kid."

"Okay, I guess that's a good point." said Radiant. "But how come I got to be a lieutenant so quickly? It's not because I happen to be the brother of Sunset Shimmer, is it?"

"Because I could tell you had much untapped potential in you, lieutenant." said Star Shield. "Though I'm going to be honest and reveal something: I initially only intended for you to be a lieutenant for the duration of the Fillydelphia crisis. After that, you only would have been a sergeant again."

"So what changed your mind?" asked Radiant, curiously.

"Because I had a feeling that I wouldn't be alive for long and I wanted a worthy successor to be at the ready if I were to....expire." said Star Shield.

"Wow, I never thought of it that way." said Radiant. "So I guess you're expecting me to fill your horseshoes if for whatever reason, you were...unable to continue?"

"More or less." said Star Shield. "Well, I think I'd better get myself ready for the night shift. See you two later tonight."

And then he turned and left. Radiant stood there, puzzled.

"Well, I sure feel bad for slacking off now." said Radiant. "I mean, if he was expecting so much of me, I would've really taken my job seriously."

"Don't feel bad about it, Radiant." said Shining Armor. "He pretty much did the same routine with me."

"Doesn't really make me feel better about it." said Radiant.

"Just do things as you usually do." said Shining Armor. "Star Shield's not expecting you to be an eleven out of ten or anything like that. He didn't expect it with me when I was his lieutenant, and I don't expect Flash Sentry to be like that, either."

"Good point, Shiny." said Radiant.

Sunset Shimmer was walking down one of the streets of Canterlot, whistling a song. Suddenly, a very tall stallion rushed past her, causing her to spin dizzily in place.

"Hey! Buddy!" Sunset yelled after him, once she got a hold of herself.

She galloped after him. She noticed that the stallion was wearing a billowy tan cloak and a few pieces of armor here and there.

"Slow down, what's the rush?!" she shouted.

The stallion stopped, and turned around. He had a dark brown coat with matching eyes, and a short curly black mane.

"I must get to Princess Celestia as soon as possible!" said the stallion. "Can you take me to Canterlot Castle?"

"Sure, just follow me!" said Sunset.

Sunset lead the stallion to the palace, and they went into the throne room together.

"Princess Celestia, this stallion's been looking for you!" Sunset said in advance.

"Thank you, Sunset Shimmer." said Princess Celestia. "Very well, stranger. You may tell me what you wish."

"I am a paladin from Saddle Arabia." said the stallion. "Our capital city of Mareusalem has been seized by a tyrant known as King Nelphyn."

Princess Celestia's eyes widened.

"Then it is as I feared." she said. "Thank you for informing me of this."

"Can anything be done for my people?" asked the paladin.

"If the timing and circumstances were right, I would have flown there myself with the Elements of Harmony in tow to once again defeat Nelphyn. But unfortunately, the Elements of Harmony are no more."

"But you are an alicorn!" said the paladin, confused. "Surely, your own magic could be able to defeat King Nelphyn!"

"On his own, I certainly could." said Celestia. "But King Nelphyn has access to the Alicorn Amulet, one of the most dangerous magical charms known to ponykind. With its magical properties, he could potentially rival even my own powers."

"Are you sure about this, princess? I never heard of anyone that could take on an alicorn princess!"

"I'm afraid I'm not as unbeatable as many make me out to be." said Celestia. "Even I know my limitations."

"Is there anything that can be done, though?" asked the paladin. "Alicorn Amulet or not, King Nelphyn must be stopped before all of Saddle Arabia is engulfed in turmoil!"

"Indeed, there is something I can do." said Celestia. "I will send an elite brigade of royal guards with you back to Saddle Arabia. Even if Mareusalem cannot be saved, I can still ensure that the other cities of your land won't share its fate."

"Wait a minute." said Sunset finally. "Nelphyn's in the right position to take over an entire nation, and you're just gonna send a few guards?"

"I'm afraid that's all that can be done at this point." said Celestia. "Equestria may be King Nelphyn's next target, and it will need its own guards and princesses to defend it from any threat Nelphyn presents to its citizens. Me and Luna must stay to maintain order in Canterlot, and continue to raise the sun and moon. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor will need to stay in the Crystal Empire. Most of the world leaders are already there for the Equestria Games, including the delegates of Saddle Arabia. And King Nelphyn could seize this opportunity to sabotage the games and put them all in danger."

"What about Princess Twilight and her friends?" asked Sunset, curiously. "By the sound of things, they've saved Ponyville alone from certain disaster at least a dozen times! And that's not getting into Nightmare Moon, Discord, King Sombra, the Plunderseeds, and...me."

"I don't doubt Twilight Sparkle's abilities as a princess, but I'm afraid that even she will be out of her league against a tyrant of King Nelphyn's magnitude."

"But she's dealt with the Alicorn Amulet before!" said Sunset.

"Yes, but she was not able to remove the amulet herself when Miss Lulamoon wore it." said Celestia. "And King Nelphyn will have many decades of experience where it, while Trixie only had it on her for a couple of days."

"But still, couldn't you try sending...I don't know...somepony that has experience with magical artifacts like the Alicorn Amulet?"

"You wouldn't be referring to yourself, would you?" asked Celestia.

"Well, not necessarily..." hesitated Sunset.

"Sunset..."

"Look, even if I was referring to myself, I'd probably be one of the most qualified--non-royalty--magic users in Equestria today that could deal with the Alicorn Amulet." said Sunset quickly. "I've faced King Nelphyn before!"

"And barely escaped him--and back to Equestria--with your life." said Celestia.

"But that was in the human world!" said Sunset. "You know I couldn't use my magic there! Or I could, if I had some magical artifact to channel it out. I bet that in this world, I could hoof-to-hoof with this guy with my own magical skills!"

"Sunset, I don't doubt you at all." said Celestia. "But I'm just not sure that this would be a good idea. Like I said, I needed the Elements of Harmony the last time I battled King Nelphyn, and all they managed to do was remove the Alicorn Amulet from his neck. They didn't even do a thing to alter his personality."

"Well, then we'll have to find a way to beat him without the Elements of Harmony." said Sunset. "And I think I might be able to do just that."

Celestia sighed.

"We will have to discuss this later." said Celestia. "I will talk about what should be done for Saddle Arabia with my sister tonight. I'm sure she could help me devise a solution. In the mean-time, Sunset Shimmer, you're dismissed. Now I have to find our guest a place to sleep."

"Okay, princess." said Sunset, reluctantly. "See ya tonight, then?"

"See you tonight." said Celestia.

Special Someponies, Part 1

"I would like to thank you, Miss Sunset, for showing concern for my people." said the Saddle Arabian paladin, later that afternoon in the place gardens.

"Oh, it was nothing really." said Sunset Shimmer, lightly.

"Well, I don't think it was nothing." said the paladin. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Felix. I am one of the sultan's elite guards in the city of Mareusalem."

"I'm sure pleased to meet you, Felix." said Sunset, warmly raising a hoof. "Welcome to Canterlot."

Felix raised his own hoof, put it around Sunset's, and bent down to kiss it. Sunset blushed, but said nothing.

"Forgive me, but I have not conversed with a mare as beautiful as you in such a long time." said Felix, quickly. "You almost seem like one of my own nation's marefolk."

"Well, I am one-eighth Saddle Arabian on my mother's side." said Sunset. "Although I don't really put too much thought into that part of my heritage."

"Is that so?" asked Felix. "A shame, though. I can tell, just by looking into your eyes, that you have the pride and determination of a true Saddle Arabian."

"Why don't you try telling my brother that?" asked Sunset. "I'm sure he'd love to hear you say it. He's one of Princess Luna's Night Guard."

"And is he a unicorn like you?" asked Felix.

"Yep. My mother's a unicorn, too." said Sunset.

"How fascinating!" said Felix. "A family of unicorns of Saddle Arabian descent."

"...Except for my father, who's from Vanhoover." said Sunset.

"Nevertheless, we don't get too many of the unicorn breed in our homeland."

"But you do get pegasi, right?" asked Sunset.

"A few, actually." said Felix. "In fact..."

He removed his cloak, revealing two wings folded against his sides.

"I'm one of them!" he said.

"That's pretty cool!" said Sunset. "But why keep that a secret?"

"Uh...pegasi of Saddle Arabian descent aren't exactly as widely-accepted as the typical earth pony." said Felix. "Long story."

"You know, I actually met this one Saddle Arabian pegasus stallion in Las Pegasus nearly two weeks ago." said Sunset. "His name was Lionel Summerset."

Felix's eyes widened.

"So you've met my uncle?" asked Felix.

Sunset's own eyes widened.

"Lionel's your uncle?" she gasped.

"Yes." said Felix. "I think I should have told you my full name: Felix Summerset. The Summersets are a clan of mostly pegasi that are of Saddle Arabian descent. But I've never known my uncle Lionel very much--he left for Equestria when I was still a colt--but I heard much about him. What is he like?"

"He's like...umm..." said Sunset, hesitantly. "Well, he was friends with my father."

"What did he do?" asked Felix, curiously. "For a job, I mean?"

"I...he was into...umm, real estate." said Sunset. "Worked on a whole bunch of buildings and things in Las Pegasus. He really loves that city a lot."

"Miss Sunset, you seem a little...hesitant?" said Felix. "Is there something on your mind?"

"It's...about King Nelphyn." said Sunset, subtly changing the subject. "I feel bad about the trouble you and your people are going through with that guy on the loose. And I have a feeling that I'd know just what he's doing, since I've faced him before."

"Just out of curiousity: Why are you so interested in facing him yourself?" asked Felix. "You don't seem like the kind of pony that would normally question Princess Celestia."

"Boy, if only that was entirely true." thought Sunset, before speaking aloud: "Well, to make a long story as short as possible...I kinda caused a little trouble myself in this...nation outside Equestria. I had seen the error of my ways, and thought I would stay there for a while to try and make up for the...trouble I caused. But all my chances at fixing things there were ruined when King Nelphyn tricked a group of criminals into hunting for me. Not only did they derail my original intentions, but they made my life in that...other nation...even worse by painting me as some kind of menace to society, since even the police there thought I was a criminal. And I was left with no choice but to come back here, instead."

"Goodness, that's terrible." said Felix, concerned. "Do you think that you may be able to return there to try setting things straight again?"

"I don't see that happening in the near future." said Sunset. "It's a long story. Still, it wasn't all that bad. I would never have met my second boyfriend, Craw, if those criminals weren't drawn to the town I was in...though I have to say that was pretty much the only good thing to come out of that."

"Do you miss Craw, then?" asked Felix Summerset.

"Yep." said Sunset. "And I still love him with a deep passion, even after all the things he did. I'd rather not go into the details, though."

"And I can respect a passion like that." nodded Felix, putting his cloak back on to conceal his wings.

"I wonder, do you have a special somepony of your own?" asked Sunset.

"Yes, I do!" said Felix. "Well, I've wanted her to be my special somepony. She's the sultan's niece, and she has a very marvelous figure. Unfortunately, she's not accustomed to fraternizing with Saddle Arabian pegasi."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." said Sunset.

"But I think it's time to change the subject." said Felix, quickly. "Would you care to introduce me to your family? I would very much like to meet them sometime."

"Oh, sure!" said Sunset. "Just follow me."

Frosty, Nose Nip, and Teddy were at the inn where the latter was staying. They were sitting at a table across from the bar.

"So, have ya been makin' any friends 'round here since you came into town?" Frosty asked Teddy.

"Yep." said Teddy. "But to be honest, I've been having a little trouble finding a girlfriend."

"Oh come on, it can't be that hard to get a girl in this town!" said Frosty. "In fact..."

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, an earth pony mare with a light red coat, dark green eyes, and shiny orange mane slammed the front door open.

"Outta da way, bozo!" she said, with a Brooklyn accent almost as thick as Frosty's, to a pegasus stallion blocking her path.

The pegasus jumped hastily out of her way, allowing the earth pony to get herself seated at the bar.

"Sunflower, I didn't expect to see you again so soon!" said the bartender.

"Cut da chit-chat, barkeep!" said Sunflower, irritated. "I need da fizziest apple cider ya got! Make it snappy, I got a shop to run in two hours!"

"Yes, ma'am!" said the bartender, quickly. "One moment, please."

"She almost reminds me of Gilda!" whispered Teddy, nervously.

Sunflower apparently heard this, because she turned around on the spot, looking for the whisperer in question. Teddy quickly turned his head away, trying desperately to whistle, before stopping altogether.

"Excuse me, but did I ask for anypony's opinion around here?!" she said loudly.

The whole tavern area of the inn fell silent.

"Yeah, dat's what I thought!" said Sunflower, when nopony spoke up. "Now lemme enjoy my drink in peace!"

When Sunflower turned around again, waiting for the bartender to give her the beverage she requested. Frosty whispered to Teddy:

"I got dis covered."

Frosty climbed out of his seat, and sat at the bar right next to Sunflower.

"Hey, barkeep!" said Frosty. "I'd like'ta be the one dat pay's for my friend's drink!"

"Okay, sir." said the bartender. "That'll be six bits!"

Frosty gave him precisely half a dozen bits, and the bartender handed the apple cider to Sunflower.

"Gee, thanks." said Sunflower. "I always wanted a li'l runt of a unicorn to buy stuff fo' me! It's almost like I got it fo' free!"

Frosty decided to ignore the blatant rudeness of Sunflower's comment, and continued on.

"And I always wanted ta buy stuff fo' a bossy earth pony that never heard of da word 'gratitude'!" he countered.

"What's the matter, small-fry?" said Sunflower. "Ya came over here for a shouting-match?"

"Well, if it meant getting to hear more of yo' gorgeous Manehattenite voice, I guess I'd say 'yes'." said Frosty.

"Ya...ya think I have a gorgeous voice?" asked Sunflower. "Ya betta not be mockin' me, shrimpy!"

"I ain't mockin' ya, sweetheart." said Frosty. "I love hearin' ya voice and accent almost as much as I love hearin' my own! I'd just love ta chat, chat, chat all day and night about how much I love hearin' ya talk! It's not everyday a unicorn of da likes-a me meets an earth pony whose voice is even tuff-uh than her hooves!"

Sunflower laughed so loudly, her voice echoed throughout the room.

"Ya know, yo' a real swell guy!" she said. "We should totally hang out sometime! I'm Sunflower Seed!"

"And I'm Frosty Flake!" said Frosty. "Nice ta meetcha!"

"Nice ta meetcha too!" said Sunflower. "I run a fashion shop down da street from here! If ya wanna see me again, ya just gotta look for the sign dat says 'Sunflower's Stupendous Suits & Dreamy Dresses'! And don't worry, I can be a real sweetheart if I wanna be!"

"Well, dat's good ta hear!" said Frosty, turning to the other patrons. "Ain't it, guys?"

The other patrons nodded, clearly relieved that Sunflower stopped shouting. Once she got finished with her cider, Sunflower got out of her seat.

"See ya later, small-fry." she said to Frosty, before leaving.

Frosty went back to sit with Nose Nip and Teddy.

"See?" he said to Teddy. "I told ya it ain't dat hard!"

"Uh...that was...an interesting experience." said Teddy, regarding the conversation he witnessed.

"Yeah, it's like there were two Frosties in the same room, if one of them was a lady and they were both chatting up a storm." said Nose Nip.

"Hey!" said Frosty.

"I'm sorry, Frosty, but what I heard was just painful." said Nose Nip, after finishing his fourth mug of hard cider.

"Actually, that was pretty tame compared to the ruckus this earth pony and his pegasus wife were causing last month." said a nearby patron.

"Listen, Frosty." Nose Nip said, ignoring the patron. "I honestly hope you and Sunflower never have children together. Your seed with her egg would create the most volatile mixture Equestria has seen since the whiskey-bomb. Teddy, could you imagine the idea of what their kids would be like? High-strung, neurotic, bipolar, thuggish, boisterous, loud, obnoxious..."

"Oh come on, you guys!" said Frosty. "Why can't ya congratulate me for gettin' somepony like Sunflower to be my new girlfriend? I actually feel like I accomplished somethin'!"

"Because she's rude and irritating!" said Nose Nip.

"But I can relate to her!" said Frosty. "Her personality ain't the best ever, but it ain't too diferent from mine, either! How da heck's it any different than dat crush ya have on Maud Pie?"

Nose Nip blushed at the mention of Maud's name.

"That...that's not really a fair comparison..." said Nose Nip.

"Why, cuz I can get Sunflower to like me, but-cha can't get Maud to like you?" asked Frosty. "I'll tell ya what, Nips. How's about we arrange a double date: You find Maud and get her to go out with ya, I'll do da same with Sunflower, and we'll all meet someplace so that we can see which of us does better with our special someponies. What'dya say?"

Nose Nip took a slow, deep breath.

"Okay, Frosty." he said. "I think it wouldn't hurt to give it a try."

Special Someponies, Part 2

Golden Sun and Scarlet Blaze were at a café near Canterlot Castle. This was probably the first time the two were alone to do something together in nearly two decades. Scarlet was wearing a green outfit with a matching beret, and her husband was wearing a slightly modified version of the suit he wore as Mr. Blue.

"To be honest, honey, I feel a little uncomfortable wearing this thing." said Golden Sun to his wife.

"I for one think it makes you look absolutely handsome." said Scarlet. "It's probably the most fabulous outfit you've ever worn."

"But it's also a reminder of one of the reasons I was away from my family for so long." said Golden Sun. "I still can't get over that Lionel brainwashed me into being one of his cronies. We were supposed to be friends!"

"What's past is past, right?" asked Scarlet. "I think we've earned the right to enjoy ourselves right now before we all go back to Vanhoover."

"I'm certainly looking forward to that." said Golden Sun. "I'd sure like to see what's changed back home since I was gone."

Then a pegasus stallion in a blue uniform and hat flew up to the couple, carrying a package in his front hooves.

"Special delivery for Professor Sun!" he said, dropping the package on the table. "Straight from Las Pegasus!"

"Thank you!" said Golden Sun, paying the tip.

"And this note came with it!" said the mailpony, giving Golden Sun a note. "Well, I've got to get to my other rounds!"

When the mailpony flew off, Golden Sun perused the message:

Dear Professor Golden Sun,

The contents of this package are the books, tomes, and other artifacts that once belonged to you that were until recently in the possession of Lionel Summerset. I'm sorry it took so long to send these back to you, but I had to verify with both the University of Baltimare (who Mr. Summerset purchased them from) and the staff of Daystar Manor which items were in fact yours, so that I knew which ones to mail to you.

Things are much calmer here in Las Pegasus with Summerset behind bars, and the Summerset--or should I say Daystar--Casino has been renovated and fixed up. Business is really booming now. And I also took the liberty of temporarily paying your wife's debt to Mr. Steel. I've let him run his business from Summerset Tower, and he's also agreed to have the Iron Horses provide security for the casino. He'll still expect to meet your wife again, though.

Expecting to hear from you soon, friend. And I hope the package's contents weren't damaged on the way over to you.

Maximum Velocity

Golden Sun smiled, and put a hoof on the package. But just as he was about to open the package, Sunset Shimmer approached them, followed by a tall Saddle Arabian stallion.

"How's it going, mom and dad?" she called over to them.

"Good afternoon, dear." Scarlet said to her daughter, then turned to the stallion. "And who is this?"

"His name's Felix." said Sunset. "He's a paladin from Saddle Arabia."

"Pleasant to meet you, Felix." said Scarlet, getting off of her chair to greet the paladin. "I am Scarlet Blaze, Sunset Shimmer's mother."

"Goodness, and what an attractive and charming mare you are, too." said Felix. "I consider your husband to be a very lucky stallion."

"Hello, Felix." said Golden Sun. "I'm Professor Golden Sun, formerly of the University of Baltimare. What brings you all the way from Saddle Arabia?"

"King Nelphyn, that's what." said Sunset Shimmer. "Apparently, he's taken over Saddle Arabia's capital city of Mareusalem, and the whole nation's in turmoil right now. He told Princess Celestia all about it, and she's going to be discussing what to do about it tonight with Princess Luna."

"Outrageous!" exclaimed Scarlet.

"Truly, truly outrageous indeed." said Felix. "And he took over the city nearly two weeks ago. I only just made it here to Canterlot today. There's no telling just what evils King Nelphyn has dealt to my people in the time I have spent on my travels."

"Well, I think we should call for the Princesses to send help to Saddle Arabia immediately!" said Scarlet. "I may have been born in Baltimare, but the Saddle Arabians are my people, too! A whole quarter of the blood that runs through my body belongs to that proud breed of ponyfolk!"

"Mom, the Princesses will do everything they can for Felix's--and I guess our--people." said Sunset. "But with the Equestria Games coming up, their resources are running very tight right now."

"To heck with the Equestria Games!" said Scarlet. "The population of an entire nation's in jeopardy and there's no reason why a few sporting events should stop all those lives from being saved!"

"Now, now, my dear." said Golden Sun. "Let's be reasonable. I want to help Saddle Arabia as much as you do, but that's no reason to cancel the Equestria Games! Just think about what would happen if word got out that the Equestria Games were to be postponed because a powerful menace had invaded one of the nations associated with it! It would cause wide-spread panic and make it even harder to deal with the crisis!"

"That's a very good point, daddy." said Sunset. "So mom, you just need to be patient and have faith in our Princesses. I have every reason to believe that they'll think of something!"

Scarlet sighed.

"I guess I will be patient, then." she said, reluctantly.

Frosty went to the front door of Sunflower Seed's fashion shop. Nose Nip had already rented a hot-air balloon to fly down to the rock farm where the Pie Family resided, so there wasn't much left to do except fulfill his own end of the deal. After taking a deep breath, he opened the front door, and a small bell rang.

"Welcome ta Sunflower's--" Sunflower began, before recognizing who just trotted inside. "Oh, if it ain't the lil unicorn that tried flirtin' wit' me earlier! So what're ya here for this time, Freezie?"

"It's Frosty." corrected the unicorn. "And I just thought I'd come ovuh ta try on somma yo' outfits."

"What kinda outfits did ya have in mind, lil guy?" asked Sunflower.

"How's about we start with a pastel suit?" suggested Frosty.

"What color would ya like ta start with?"

"How's about somethin' dark grey with blue underneath?"

"Follow me, then." said Sunflower.

"But remember: No hat!" Frosty said quickly. "The last fashionista I tried getting a pastel suit from didn't pay attention to that!"

"No problem!" said Sunflower. "Let's go getcha that suit, okay?"

Later, while Sunflower was measuring Frosty's legs and back, she decided to have a conversation with him.

"So where ya from again?" she asked him. "Ya sound like yer from Manehatten."

"Nah, I'm from Baltimare." said Frosty. "My mom came from Manehatten, though."

"What about yo' father?"

"I don't have one!" said Frosty. "My mom was single when she had me, and she's still single to this day."

"Awww, that's too bad." commented Sunflower.

"Yeah, you get used to it." said Frosty.

Then he decided to change the subject.

"So, anyways...uh..." he said. "If you ain't busy later, Sunflower...would ya like ta, you know, hang out with me someplace?"

"What ya mean go out on a date?" asked Sunflower.

"Sure, if ya wanna call it that." said Frosty.

"I dunno, I don't usually wanna date a stallion that's only a lil bit bigger than my lil sister Babs." said Sunflower. "But what the hay, ya look so cute with dat suit on ya, I just can't say 'no'...but only if ya agree ta wear it!"

"No prob, Sunflower." said Frosty. "You know I'd do anything for ya, my precious ginger-snap."

"I know ya would, my lil sugar-muffin!" said Sunflower.

It was in the early evening when Nose Nip reached the rock farm. He landed the hot-air balloon a few dozen yards away, and climbed out. He was wearing the same furry suit he wore in Las Pegasus, and had a saddle-bag full of precious stones he found while exploring the mountain that Canterlot was built upon. He came to the farmhouse, and knocked on the door. The door opened, and a middle-aged stallion who Nose Nip presumed to be Mr. Pie came outside.

"So what're ya here for, fella?" he asked.

"I'm here to see your daughter, sir." said Nose Nip.

"Which one? I got four of 'em!"

"Maud, sir." said Nose Nip.

"You'll find her in the South field." said Mr. Pie. "She's playin' Camouflage again."

"Thank you, sir." said Nose Nip.

Nose Nip went to the South field, where Maud was inspecting the rocks.

"Hey, Maud." said Nose Nip. "Remember me? Nose Nip?"

"Hi, Nose Nip." said Maud in her usual monotone voice, not taking her eyes off the ground.

"What're ya doin'?" asked Nose Nip.

"Playing Camouflage with Boulder." said Maud.

"What kind of game is Camouflage? I'd sure like to know."

"It's like an even more intense hide-and-seek." explained Maud. "If I find Boulder in this pile of rocks, I win."

"And if you don't find him, you lose?" asked Nose Nip.

"Camouflage is much more fun when somepony else plays it with me." said Maud.

"I'll play with ya, if you want." said Nose Nip.

Nose Nip looked down at the many stones, pebbles, and rocks that dotted the ground. After three minutes, Nose Nip picked up a familiar pebble.

"This him?" asked Nose Nip, giving Boulder to Maud.

"Yes." said Maud blankly. "Congratulations, you are the first pony outside of my family to win a game of Camouflage."

"Well, I certainly know a few things about rocks." said Nose Nip. "Being a mountain-climber and all, being able to not only tell one rock apart from the other, but recognize individual rocks, can be a very important tactic for survival."

"Very true." said Maud Pie, nodding once but maintaining the same neutral expression. "Now that I have Boulder, I have to rocks to smash in the East field."

As Maud turned to trot slowly to the East field, Nose Nip rushed after her.

"Could I help at all?" he asked.

"Be my guest." said Maud, who continued to move slowly.

"Umm, do you have a problem with walking?" asked Nose Nip, regarding Maud's slow speed.

"No, I just don't like to rush." said Maud.

"I could carry you, if you'd like." suggested Nose Nip.

"You don't need to worry about me, Nose Nip." said Maud Pie.

"It doesn't mean I can't, does it?" countered Nose Nip.

"No...but why are you so concerned about me?" asked Maud.

"Umm...well..." stammered Nose Nip, who was trying hard not to blush, and failing.

"What's wrong with you, are you sick?" Maud asked, noticing how flushed and red Nose Nip's bluish-green face was becoming.

"I'm not sick, Maud." said Nose Nip. "I guess I'm just blushing."

"And why are you blushing?" asked Maud.

"Because I'm...nervous." said Nose Nip.

"And why would you be nervous?"

"Because...you..."

"Nose Nip, you don't have to be nervous around me." said Maud. "My expectations aren't too high. If you have to say something to me, you're free to say it."

"Okay." Nose Nip took a deep breath. "Maud Pie, would you...go out on a date...with me?"

Maud's eyes widened ever so slightly, and her mouth opened a couple of inches.

"I mean, I can understand if you don't wanna..." Nose Nip said hastily.

"Nose Nip, you are the first stallion to ever ask me that question." said Maud. "And you really do seem like a very nice stallion that I can relate to. So yes, I would love to go on a date with you."

"Really?"

Maud's lips bent upwards into the most subtle, but adorable smile.

"Really." she said, before returning to her neutral expression. "But you'll have to forgive me if I don't express my emotions outwardly. Not like how my sister Pinkie does."

"I spend my time around rocks almost as much as you do, so I don't get to spend too much time around very emotional ponies--apart from Frosty, anyway--when I'm doing my job. So it shouldn't be too hard for me."

"Then I think you and I will get along just great." said Maud. "I just need to smash those rocks in the East field."

"Okay, I'll--" Nose Nip began.

But Maud suddenly charged at the rocks with blinding speed, and repeatedly pummeled the massive boulders until they were broken apart into thousands of pieces. Then she slowly trotted back to Nose Nip, who was panting heavily and excitedly at what he saw.

"So when and where are you going to take me?" she asked.

The Crisis Continues, Part 2

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were in the throne room of Canterlot Castle.

"What should I do, Luna?" Celestia asked her younger sister.

"I recommend allowing me to send a team of Shadowbolts to Saddle Arabia, to analyze the damage Nelphyn has done to that land." said Luna. "Once they report back, we should send a brigade of royal guards to assist the Saddle Arabians."

"A good suggestion, but..." said Celestia, hesitantly.

"Sister, what is the matter?" asked Luna.

"It's just what Sunset Shimmer said earlier." said Celestia. "She seemed very eager to fight King Nelphyn herself."

"Sunset has always been a persistent one." said Luna. "That mare only seems to do what she wants to do, even if it meant endangering her life."

"She might seem stubborn, but her intentions are still good." said Celestia. "I remember when you were like that, Luna."

"That was a long time ago, and I've long since matured, both as a princess and as a pony." said Luna, dryly. "But it's gotten surprisingly harder and harder now to get Sunset to fight her own impulses and remain where she would be safe."

"Perhaps in her time as your student, she has developed a taste for adventure, even if she might not want to admit it." said Celestia. "True, Sunset is putting herself at risk, but it is only natural that one would want to prove themselves."

"The last time Sunset wanted to prove herself, she abandoned you and tried to harness the power of the Element of Magic for herself." said Luna.

"I know this, Luna." frowned Celestia. "But I realize where I went wrong with her. I should not have made her wait for her destiny to come to her. There are some lessons that cannot be learned just by reading books or casting spells. She deserved an opportunity to branch out and experience the world around her. And she still deserves it. More than ever, I'd say."

"But, sister--"

"Luna, Sunset had lived a sheltered life for nearly two decades." said Celestia. "She should be free to follow her own path. I may not be willing to explicitly send Sunset Shimmer to battle King Nelphyn in Saddle Arabia, but I won't forbid her from traveling there herself. And neither should you."

"Of course, Celestia." said Luna, reluctantly. "I understand."

She bowed her head in a somber manner.

"Now, now, Luna." Celestia said softly, slowly approaching her sister. "I understand you care for Sunset Shimmer's safety. And I'm glad you do. But leaving isn't the same as never coming back. And you're living proof of that."

Luna raised her head.

"I love you, sister." she said, quietly.

"I know you do, Luna." said Celestia. "The feeling is, and always will be, mutual."

"How touching." said a voice.

The two alicorns turned towards the doors to the throne room, where two royal guards were standing. They were both approaching the princesses at an eerily calm pace...even as they suddenly burst into green flames and changed into larger, familiar dark shapes with insectoid wings.

"Hello, Princess Celestia." said Queen Chrysalis.

"And of course, Princess Luna." said Lord Umbriel, grinning as usual.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?!" exclaimed Luna in surprise. "Are you here to end our truce with your empire?"

"On the contrary, princess..." said Umbriel.

"My brother and I have sought to renew it with you two." said Chrysalis.

"But why?" asked Celestia.

Nose Nip and Frosty met up again in Canterlot.

"Well, I got Sunflower to go out with me!" said Frosty. "I told her tomorrow night."

"Same for me with Maud." said Nose Nip.

"No way!" said Frosty, in surprise. "Ya actually got Maud to come with ya?! How'd ya do dat?"

"Easy: I talked to her." said Nose Nip, grinning.

"Oh, ya talked to her." said Frosty. "I thought she was the type that just stared at stuff all day."

Nose Nip yawned.

"Look, Frosty, I'm too tired to argue right now." he said. "It's been a long day, and it took a while to get back to Canterlot. I'm going back to the inn."

He left without another word.

"Well, I ought to congratulate you both." said a familiar voice.

Frosty turned around, and saw Scarlet Blaze standing there.

"Um...hey there, Scarlet." Frosty grinned up at her. "What're ya doin' walkin' the streets dis time-a night?"

"I'm going up to check up on my son." said Scarlet. "Maybe see what his job is like, too."

"I dunno, they probably wouldn't want somepony snoopin' round da castle this late at night." said Frosty.

"Oh, I'm sure they won't mind me paying a visit." said Scarlet. "After all, my son and daughter are both very important ponies at Canterlot Castle."

"Okay, I guess dat's a good point." sighed Frosty.

Then he decided to change the subject.

"So...um, I was kinda wonderin'..." he said. "Do ya evuh miss Baltimare at all?"

"Sometimes." said Scarlet. "Why, do you?"

"Just a little." said Frosty. "I sometimes wonder how my mom's doin' there. Maybe one of these days, I ought to pay her a visit."

"Well, I sure wouldn't stop you." said Scarlet.

"But still, I like ta think I got a commitment with you and yer kids." said Frosty.

"Would you like to talk about it?" asked Scarlet Blaze.

"Maybe." said Frosty. "But not right now."

"I still can't believe that somepony like you was actually able to get a date." Scarlet commented.

"Are ya kiddin'?" said Frosty. "I get dates all da time! Mostly in Vanhoover. I have ta work hard though pretty much anywhere else. I think I really accomplished somethin' when I got Sunflower to be my girlfriend."

"Sunflower?" repeated Scarlet. "What's she like?"

"She's this earth pony mare from Manehatten. She runs a fashion store here in town. And she's pretty uptight with others. Even more than you."

"Oh, is that so?" Scarlet said, cocking her head to the left.

"But I still got her to like me!" Frosty chuckled. "What can I say? All kinds o' mares go crazy for da Frost-meistah!"

"Well, I don't think I would go crazy for you." said Scarlet.

"What, you sayin' I ain'tcha type?" said Frosty.

"Well, you aren't the type of stallion I would date." said Scarlet. "I'd see you more as the annoying little brother I never had."

"Annoying?!" said Frosty. "I ain't--wait, did ya say 'little brother'?"

"Yes." said Scarlet. "Especially, since we're both unicorns, we're both from Baltimare, and we're both --"

"Ugh...okay, I get it." said Frosty. "Oh, and I was wonderin'...Do ya have any advice for me? For my date tomorrow night, I mean. How'd your first date with your husband go?"

Scarlet sighed.

"I think I'll tell you another time." she said. "I'm going to check on my son. See you later, Frosty."

"Ugh...okay." said Frosty, reluctantly. "Good night, Scarlet."

"So what do you want, Chrysalis?" asked Celestia.

"Yes, there is a crisis underway in Saddle Arabia." said Luna.

"Yes, but there is also a crisis in my own empire." said Chrysalis. "Someone or something has been doing this to my subjects!"

An equine shrouded in a hooded cloak came into the throne room through the open door. He shed the mantle, revealing himself to be a small, timid Changeling drone with a paled, twitching body. and constantly dilating eyes.

"Whatever happened to him?" asked Luna, her eyes widened in surprise.

"I don't know for sure." said Chrysalis.

"But we know for sure that something tried draining him of his life-force." said Umbriel.

"Do you know whom or what could have done this?" asked Celestia.

"Not exactly." said Chrysalis. "But whatever did this to him also made off with members of our royal family and some of my top servants."

"Including some of my soldiers!" said Umbriel, angrily.

"And why are you coming to us for help?" asked Celestia.

"Because we believe that this may interest you." said Chrysalis, producing a badge that she kept bound to her lime-green saddle. "We found this next to the drone."

The badge had several images associated with the Canterlot Royal Guard on it, including one that indicated it was--

"This is the badge of Royal Commander Firewing!" gasped Celestia. " He's the highest-ranking royal guard in all of Equestria. But...but I never sent any guards into your territory!"

"Nor did I!" said Luna.

"We already ruled that out." said Umbriel. "If you really wanted to break the truce so soon, it would have been more obvious. Tell me, have you two been keeping an eye on all your guards lately?"

Somewhere in a cave outside of Baltimare, several Changelings and ponies were being held captive in a deep chamber.

"Ya 'ow, this is jus' plain unfa'!" complained Sigma, who was bound back-to-back with Canopy at one end of the chamber.

"Yes, well your chatter won't make our situation any better, Ziggy." moaned Canopy.

"Shut up, you disgusting maggots!" said an angry voice.

A light brown pegasus stallion in battered silver-and-gold royal guard armor approached them. He had a nasty scar over his left eye and another across his muzzle, his left ear was bitten or torn off at the tip, a wild bronze mane, and tribal-looking ornaments around his collar and saddle. Flanking him were a group mercenaries in shabby attire with similar ornaments and war-paint on their faces. Some of them were also royal guards that had manic expressions on their faces, and others were gryphon or zebra mercenaries that looked positively feral.

"I take it yo' the bloke that's holdin' us here, 'en?" asked Sigma.

"I am Commander Firewing." said the stallion. "And If I were you, Changeling, I would keep my mouth shut."

"What's got your wings in a knot?" asked Canopy. "I mean, I didn't think Princess Celestia would be so eager to capture us! We weren't even doing any harm!"

"I don't work for that foolish princess anymore." growled Firewing. "Me and my troops answer to a much more powerful leader. King Nelphyn gave me and my loyal soldiers special orders to deal with anypony in Equestria that could obstruct his goals overseas. That potentially includes you Changelings. Princess Celestia may have a truce with you gnats, but I don't. Not after the pain and misery you caused me when you invaded Canterlot."

"Who in the world is King Nelphyn?" asked Canopy.

"Silence." hissed Firewing. "Sergeant, make sure that these two keep quiet. I'm going to interrogate the others. Chip one of their fangs for every complete sentence they speak."

"Yes, sir." said a renegade unicorn guard with a rough voice.

Firewing left the chamber, the renegades and mercenaries bowing down to him and chanting indistinctly as he left.

More Family Matters

The throne room was silent as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Queen Chrysalis, and Lord Umbriel sat together in the middle. The fatigued drone sat in-between them.

"Changeling, can you explain what happened that put you in your condition?" asked Celestia.

The drone looked up nervously at the alicorns, but said nothing.

"You won't be able to get words out of him, princess." said Umbriel. "Whatever harm came to that drone has temporarily impaired his ability to speak."

"But I believe I can find out what happened." said Luna, who approached the drone with her horn glowing. "Let us see if I cannot probe his mind for any memories of the incident."

She set her horn against the drone's, and her eyes began to glow.

TWO WEEKS EARLIER...

Sigma, Canopy, Remix, Aggro, and three other drones were all standing back-to-back, surrounded by shadowy assailants. The Changelings' horns were all glowing.

"Fire!" shouted Canopy.

The Changelings fired their spells at the dark shapes. Some made their mark, but most of the figures evaded them.

"How many of them are there?!" said Aggro, hastily. "Howmanyhowmanyhowmanyhow--"

"Aggro, shut up!" said Canopy. "It looks like we're outnumbered. You're the fastest of us, so go and find reinforcements!"

"Got it!" said Aggro, with a salute.

He bolted away from the other Changelings and past the dark figures. He produced a streak of greenish flames as he sped on, and was gone in seconds.

"Don't let any more of 'em get away!" shouted one of the figures.

Suddenly one of the dark figures, revealed to be an earth pony stallion in mud-splattered royal guard armor, tackled Canopy and pinned her to the ground. Before any of the other Changelings could turn to help, even more armored ponies sprang forth and attacked them.

"You get offa Canopy, you stupid--*buzz!*" Sigma shouted to the pony grappling Canopy. "What...?". Sigma turned to find the source of the noise, and saw that Remix's horn was glowing.

"Watch your language, Sigma." rasped Remix, who was grappling with another armored pony.

"Don't be such a bloody tart, Remix!" said Sigma. "I can say whatevuh oi wo-aaaahhhh!"

Another armored pony struck down Sigma and pinned him down next to Canopy. Two of the other drones were similarly incapacitated.

"What's goin' on he'?!" Sigma moaned. "'Oo ar' these--"

Suddenly, yet another dark equine shape appeared, larger than the others. His eye sockets were glowing with a pale red smoke.

"Changelings?" said the large shape. "How pathetic. Not worth my time, if you ask me. But still, I think we may have more use for them."

"But my lord, I desperately want to kill these maggots!" growled a pegasus-shape beside the large shape.

"I'm afraid that I cannot allow this. Keep them prisoner. They will be much more useful alive than dead."

"But I want them to--"

"Silence, Firewing!" boomed the large shape suddenly, and his voice echoed throughout the chamber.

Everything else was silent as the voice echoed in the darkness. The red smoke from the large shape's eye-sockets exploded in a violent fiery light.

"Of...of course, master." said Firewing. "As you command, King Nelphyn."

"See?" said Nelphyn. "Even one as aggressive as you can be made to obey, given the proper incentive. Now capture those Changelings...alive."

"Wha' th--" Sigma began, before being walloped on the head by the armored pony.

"Sigma! You're going to--" Canopy shouted, before being blasted with a stunning spell by an armored unicorn follower of King Nelphyn.

Then one of the drones lying on the ground shot a spell directly at King Nelphyn. However, it was effortlessly deflected and bounced back against a nearby wall, causing a large explosion. Several ponies and Changelings alike were injured or confused, but Remix was able to break free and disappeared in the confusion. King Nelphyn, however, was unfazed, and furiously seized the drone.

"You pathetic little insect." said King Nelphyn, with an unusually soft tone in his voice. "What were you trying to prove?"

His grip tightened on the drone, and the Alicorn Amulet around his neck began to glow.

PRESENT DAY...

Princess Luna stopped mentally probing the Changeling's memories.

"Firewing was indeed involved in the attack and capture of those Changelings." she said aloud to Celestia and the two Changelings regents. "But he wasn't doing it on Equestria's behalf. He was acting under the orders of...King Nelphyn."

Princess Celestia sighed.

"Then it's as I feared." she said.

"King Nelphyn?" repeated Queen Chrysalis.

"Yes, sister." said Lord Umbriel. "He was an ancient Saddle Arabian monarch that--"

"I know who he is, brother!" snapped Chrysalis. "But what I want to know is why and how King Nelphyn is still alive! He should've been dead for centuries!"

"Unfortunately, I don't know the answer, Chrysalis." said Celestia. "But I know he was spending all this time in the human world, which I'm sure you two are familiar with?"

"We are." said Umbriel.

"Something should be done about him, regardless." said Chrysalis. "Where in Equestria is he right now?"

"He isn't in Equestria." said Celestia. "I was recently told that he's currently trying to conquer Saddle Arabia."

Chrysalis scoffed.

"Then he's already out of my empire's reach." she said, bitterly. "And our subjects that he captured are doomed."

"That may not necessarily be the case." said Luna. "There is still a chance that we may be able to find Firewing."

"Even if Firewing was still in Equestria, how are you so sure you'd be able to find him?" asked Chrysalis.

"Because when I was searching the drone's memories, I saw that two Changelings escaped the attack." explained Luna.

"Two?" repeated Chrysalis.

"But I was sure only one had escaped." said Umbriel. "Aggro was the only one that came back to us."

"Actually, another escaped capture." said Luna. "I suspect it might be one of yours, Umbriel."

She approached Umbriel, and put her horn to his. Luna's horn glowed as she mentally projected an image of the Changeling in question.

"So Remix escaped capture?" Umbriel said. "Interesting. But what I don't understand is...where is he now?"

"Remix...you and I...just made some very sweet music together." said an out-of-breath DJ P0N-3, laying sideways on the living room floor of her residence.

"It...was a pleasure." rasped Remix, who was sitting next to DJ P0N-3 on the floor, with several sheets of paper with musical notes scrawled on them scattered between the two.

"You know..." DJ P0N-3 climbing up the floor to sit in front of Remix, still panting a little. "I've gotta admit, I was a little...nervous at first. I've never...collaborated with a...Changeling before."

"Nor have I ever done so with a pony." said Remix. "But I guess...there's always a first time for everything...and everyone."

"You know, you're actually a cool guy...for a Changeling, I mean." said DJ P0N-3. "You can call me Vinyl Scratch. You can play my instruments anytime."

"Are you saying that we can be a...duet?" asked Remix.

"You got that right, Ree-Ree." said Vinyl. "So when do you want to hang out next time?"

"I...don't know." admitted Remix.

Suddenly, there was a flash of red light, and Ghost appeared next to them.

"Cousin, I've been looking all over for you!" Ghost told Remix. "What the heck have you been--"

He looked at Vinyl Scratch.

"You know what? I don't even want to know. Come on, Remix." said Ghost.

"Actually, I--"

But before Remix could finish his sentence, Ghost grabbed him by the hoof, and the two teleported away, leaving Vinyl Scratch alone with her music sheets.

Sunset Shimmer was walking down to the throne room, wondering if the princesses decided on whether or not they would help Saddle Arabia. She opened the doors to the throne room, and gasped in surprise when she saw Queen Chrysalis, Lord Umbriel, and the drone.

"What...what are they doing here?!" she said uncomfortably loudly.

"Sunset Shimmer, okease don't be alarmed." said Princess Luna, who quickly went to meet her student. "They aren't here to cause us trouble."

"Well, that would be a first." said Sunset. "But then why are they here?"

"Well, if it isn't the prodigal daughter of Equestria, herself?" said Queen Chrysalis, walking over to join them. "Miss Sunset Shimmer, I presume?"

"That's right." Sunset nodded slowly. "And you're..."

"Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. I'm the ruler of the Changeling Empire, and the older sister of Umbriel, who I believe you've already met."

Umbriel heard this, and casually waved one of his muscular hooves at Sunset.

"Unfortunately." said Sunset.

Chrysalis extended one of her long, hole-ridden legs towards Sunset's face.

"I'm pleased to finally be able to meet someone of your caliber, Miss Shimmer." said Chrysalis. "My brother told me all about you."

Sunset took Chrysalis' hoof, and reluctantly shook it up and down.

"Did he tell you he tried killing me a couple of times, despite the fact that there's supposed to be a truce between Equestria and your empire?" said Sunset Shimmer.

"What my brother does isn't my responsibility." said Chrysalis. "He prefers to do his own thing most of the time."

"Unless it was something you weren't completely comfortable with, my sister." said Umbriel, approaching Chrysalis and Sunset.

"But really, Sunset." said Chrysalis, ignoring Umbriel. "I am terribly sorry about this whole mess involving my brother. And so is he. Isn't that right?"

"Oh...of course!" Umbriel nodded quickly. "So...Sunset Shimmer, how are you doing this evening?"

"Umm...fine." said Sunset, nervously.

"Having any luck on finding the rest of your family?"

Sunset narrowed her eyes angrily.

"Yes, actually." said Sunset. "I finally found both my parents, no thanks to you!"

"Well, then I should congra--"

"And why are you so curious, anyway?!" snapped Sunset. "Considering you were the one that tore my family apart to begin with! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been separated from them like I was! I didn't see my parents for fifteen years straight and it's all your fault!"

"Well, they say a little childhood trauma builds character..."

"Oh yeah? Well, maybe I wanted to be a different character! Did you think about that?" said Sunset.

"I can assure you, that I didn't really intend for them to be--" Umbriel began.

Chrysalis turned her head towards her younger sibling.

"Brother, back away now." she hissed to Umbriel.

Umbriel nodded, and went back to Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and the drone.

"You know, I have to wonder what kind of sister you are to him, anyway." said Sunset.

"Excuse me?" Chrysalis asked, turning towards Sunset.

"The way you just let him do stuff willy-nilly without doing anything about it." said Sunset. "My brother may not have been around as long as I would've liked, but when he was, he always looked out for me and made sure nothing bad ever happened to me."

"And...?"

"Well, why can't you do the same for your brute of a brother?" asked Sunset.

"Are you criticizing me?" said Chrysalis.

"Well, if you were a good sister, I wouldn't be." said Sunset.

"Sunset Shimmer..." Chrysalis' eyes narrowed under her thick eyelids. "How...dare you?!"

"Think about it, queenie." said Sunset. "If you cared about your brother at all, why'd you let him get away with attacking Fillydelphia despite the fact that you're supposed to have a truce with us?"

Queen Chrysalis' face was starting to flush with a pale greenish tone.

"Well, I can't control every little thing that he does!" scoffed Chrysalis. "It's just...I...urrrrrgh!"

She huffed and turned around, her head tilted up and eyes closed. Sunset calmed herself down and cleared her throat.

"Queen Chrysalis, I'm...sorry." she said.

"Excuse me?" Chrysalis opened her eyes and turned around again.

"I shouldn't be criticizing you like that." said Sunset. "I'm sure there's some cultural thing you Changelings have that I don't fully understand. Umbriel probably has some kinda position where..."

"Sunset Shimmer, you're probably the first pony I've ever met that actually apologized to me about something." Chrysalis sighed, then chuckled. "I can see why both of those princesses chose you to be their student. You're really different from the others, I can tell. But in a good way. Congratulations, you've earned my respect...for now."

Suddenly, there was a flash of red light, and Ghost and Remix appeared in the throne room.

"Hey, Queen Chrysalis!" Ghost exclaimed. "Look who I just found!"

The Road to Baltimare, Part 1

The next morning, Shining Armor, Star Shield, Radiant Dawn, Lightning Dust, and several royal and night guards and Shadowbolts, were being briefed by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

"My loyal subjects..." began Celestia.

"And of course, my own." added Luna.

"As you are all aware by now, a crisis has recently befallen our distant neighbors in Saddle Arabia." said Celestia. "But just last night, we received very unfortunate, even disturbing news from the leaders of the Changeling Empire."

"Have they decided to end their truce with Equestria?" asked Captain Star Shield.

"Thankfully, no." said Celestia. "But several of their valued citizens, as well as many of our own, are being held prisoner by a group of renegade royal guards..."

"And they are led by..." Luna paused uncomfortably. "Your own Royal Commander, Firewing."

Several guards had shocked expressions on their faces.

"According to a Changeling soldier by the name of Remix Acapella, the renegades are holding ponies and Changelings alike prisoner somewhere in the vicinity of Baltimare." said Celestia. "Which is why I am sending a detachment to that city to find these fugitives and free their hostages."

"Even the Changelings?" asked Radiant Dawn and Shining Armor at once.

"Even the Changelings." confirmed Luna. "And since Changelings are being held prisoner as well, Queen Chrysalis and Lord Umbriel are sending a task force of their own elite soldiers to assist you and my Shadowbolts."

"Collaborating with Changelings?" Radiant grumbled under his breath. "That's just a backstabbing waiting to happen."

Some of the other guards and Shadowbolts turned to look at him, so he quickly inquired:

"But what about Saddle Arabia?" asked Radiant. "Don't they need our help, too?"

"Of course, but I'm afraid the problems on our own doorstep are a greater priority than the problems of a distant land." said Celestia. "Which is why I must persist that this mission be completed as quickly as possible."

"So when do we start hangin' with the bug-boys?" asked Lightning Dust.

"The Changeling Elite will meet be meeting you outside the city limits of Baltimare, disguised as out-of-towners." said Celestia. "They've been instructed to respond to a code. If they hear one of you say 'Basilisk' after one of them says 'Gorgon', they will know we sent you."

"Why would they need a code to know it's us?" asked Skyboom.

"Because there are renegade guards in that area, they might confuse you for them and vice-versa, and we don't want any misunderstandings to occur because of this." said Luna. "We don't want to make our relationship with the Changelings any...rockier than necessary."

"Good point." said Skywater, who was standing next to Skyboom.

"Captains Shining Armor and Star Shield will now choose which of you guards will be part of the detachment." said Celestia.

"We're not going there ourselves?" asked Shining Armor.

"We must not create a panic, so both of you captains will need to stay here in order to keep things from getting out of control." said Luna.

"Then we will do what you believe is right, princess." said Star Shield, bowing humbly.

It was half past noon, when Radiant Dawn was saying his farewells to Sunset Shimmer.

"It looks like I've got a big mission of my own, Sunny." he said. "In our mom's hometown of Baltimare, no less."

"I would really like to come with you, Red." said Sunset, frowning.

"I know you do, and I feel the same way." said Radiant. "But this is guard stuff. And you've got your own responsibilities as Princess Luna's student. Plus, if...things go wrong...there'll only be one funeral for our family to go to."

"Red, don't talk like that." Sunset shook her head.

"Sorry, Sunny." said Radiant. "It's just that I'm a little nervous about my mission. We're gonna be dealing with the Commander of the entire Royal Guard, both day and night. There's no telling what kind of experience he'll have in combat, or how many soldiers he's got with him."

"I don't know, you didn't do to bad against Lord Umbriel or Lionel Summerset..." said Sunset. "Plus, you've been training to fight like a Saddle Arabian paladin, haven't ya?"

Radiant sighed.

"Right. Thanks for reminding me, sis." said Radiant. "Well, I'm going to get going now. I love you, Sunset."

"I love you too, Radiant." said Sunset. "I'll miss you...a lot."

The two siblings hugged each other tightly and parted ways, with Sunset going back into Canterlot Castle, and Radiant going to meet with the rest of the royal guard detachment.

Later that day, Sunset Shimmer found herself pacing around her bedroom, worrying about Radiant and Lightning Dust's safety, and about what damage King Nelphyn may be doing to Saddle Arabia. She felt that she had to do something about Firewing herself, so that he wouldn't do any harm to her friends and family. But the princesses probably wouldn't allow her to go to Baltimare, even with an escort. So she had to find a way to get there herself.

She went out of her room and started searching the castle for Flash Sentry, until she remembered that he was sent back to the Crystal Empire. As she stood in the middle of a corridor thinking about what to do, a tall stallion accidentally knocked her over as he strode down the halls.

"Ah! Forgive me, Miss Sunset!" said a familiar voice.

"It's okay, Felix." Sunset quickly got up. "How's it going?"

"I am doing quite well, Miss Sunset." said Felix Summerset. "Your princesses are most hospitable!"

"Tell me, can you help me with something?" asked Sunset. "My brother's been sent on a mission to Baltimare, and I'm afraid he might not survive it."

"Do you not have confidence in him?" Felix asked curiously.

"It's not that I don't have confidence in him, it's just that I'm afraid that something might go wrong. He's going to be fighting renegade royal guards, and they sound very dangerous."

"Then what may I do to help?" said Felix. "As a paladin of Saddle Arabia, it would be my pleasure to assist you in whatever way possible!"

"Well, could you come with me and help round up my friends to mount a rescue mission?" asked Sunset.

"I'll do what I can." nodded Felix.

Sunset and Felix found Teddy wandering the streets, and stopped him so that they could tell him what they were trying to do.

"Um...sorry." Teddy shook his head. "I'd really love to help ya, Sunset, but I'd rather not get in trouble with any royal guards, even if they're renegades. You understand, don't ya?"

"I guess." said Sunset. "See ya later, Ted."

"But...hang on..." Teddy stammered with a concerned tone in his voice.

But Sunset and Felix left before Teddy could properly respond to them.

"Look, Sunset." said Frosty, at the inn where he and Nose Nip were staying. "Nips and I got dates tonight, and we ain't gonna stand our ladies up just fo' what sounds like'a suicide mission."

"Sorry, Sunset." said Nose Nip. "But we just don't have time right now to run around looking for trouble."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is sorry, but she is too busy preparing for her next performance to risk her life battling the forces of evil." said Trixie Lulamoon.

"Aren't you concerned about Radiant--or me--at all?" said Sunset.

"Of course I am, but Trixie presently sees no reason to interfere with the work of those brutish royal guards."

"Fine." said Sunset, with a huff.

Sunset Shimmer and Felix Summerset went to the door of the apartment that Golden Sun and Scarlet Blaze were staying during their time in Canterlot.

"Hey, mom? Dad?" Sunset was about to call to them.

Sunset was about to knock on the door, when they suddenly heard a sound inside and Felix leaned forward to listen in.

"I hear noises in there." said Felix.

"What kind?" asked Sunset.

"I hear the rustling of bed-springs, objects being knocked to the floor, heavy grunting, and random, sporadic shouting." said Felix. "Either your parents are fighting, or..."

"Yeah, I get the idea." Sunset said quickly. "Let's get out of here."

"You know, you must be desperate if you're coming to me for help." said Dr. Pressure Point in his ward.

"I am desperate, Presh!" said Sunset. "The life of my brother may be at stake, and nopony else will help me!"

"Then I guess nopony will." said Pressure, flatly. "I'm a very busy pony, and have no time to go on wild goose chases!"

"But..." Sunset began.

"Please...just leave me to my work, Sunset Shimmer." said Pressure Point. "I have to get ready to deliver triplets in ten minutes."

There were cries of pain coming from an unseen room. And a nurse ran into the ward from the hallway outside.

"Hey, doc?!" she said. "Things are not looking good! I think we might need to do a C-section!"

Pressure Point scoffed.

"I'll be right there!" he said. "Just get these two out of my hospital."

"Actually, we can see ourselves out just fine, doctor." groaned Sunset.

It was almost sundown when Sunset and Felix were walking aimlessly down the streets.

"I'm so sorry that you weren't able to get anyone to help, Miss Sunset." said Felix. "But are you sure they're your only friends?"

"Well, the only ones here in Canterlot." said Sunset. "But all the other ones are too far away to help with something as urgent as this."

"Not all of them, mon cherie." said a familiar voice.

Sunset turned around and saw the Cajun pegasus that was actually...

"Craw?" Sunset blerted aloud.

"Good." said the Cajun pegasus, who sporadically burst into green flames.

The pegasus's body elongated and darkened in the flame, becoming its true form.

"Sunset Shimmer, it's been a long time, hasn't it?" said King Craw, stepping out from the flames and sneering like usual. "I heard about your fight with the Chrysalis Syndicate, and about your little 'vacation' in Las Pegasus."

"And?" said Sunset. "Why are you here now?"

"If you mean Miss Sunset any harm, Changeling, you will be treated in kind!" said Felix, gallantly.

Craw sighed, but otherwise did not change his expression.

"Sunset Shimmer, don't tell me you're already seeing somepony else!" he said, bemused.

"Excuse me?" Sunset tilted her head suspiciously and narrowed her eyes.

"Don't you find me appealing anymore?" said Craw, dryly. "Why else would you trust me?"

"Sunset, what is he talking about?" asked Felix.

Sunset Shimmer turned to face King Craw.

"Craw, I'm not seeing anypony else." then she turned to Felix. "And Felix, I didn't encourage Craw to take an interest in me, or at least I didn't mean to. It's a long story."

"I will take your word for it, Miss Sunset." said Felix.

"What did you come here for, Craw?" asked Sunset.

"Well, I heard that the Changeling Empire has made some enemies that aren't aligned with your princesses." said King Craw. "And thought I'd stop by to check up on you."

"Well, as you can see, I'm just fine without you." said Sunset, bluntly.

"Why so harsh, Sunset Shimmer?" asked Craw. "I thought you and I were friends?"

"We weren't friends, Craw." said Sunset. "Just because I had a few conversations with you and...inadvertantly helped you get back to normal doesn't make you my friend. Friends don't try to kill each other."

"I already explained why I did what I did when we last met." said Craw. "But I think we should put the past behind us, if you want to help the royal guard deal with those renegades."

"How do you know about that?" asked Sunset.

"I have my ways, Sunset Shimmer." said Craw. "And I know where the renegades are holding their prisoners."

"Really?" said Sunset, skeptically. "And where?"

"Fort Echidna." said Craw. "It's been abandoned for years, but the renegades are using it as their base of operations."

"How do you know this?" asked Sunset.

"Because they're the ones that kicked me out of it, just a couple weeks ago." said King Craw. "I've already been forced out of a hiding place once, and I won't tolerate it happening again."

"So you're not doing it to help the Changelings, is it?" deduced Sunset. "You just wanna get the bats out of your attic."

"That is correct, from a certain point of view." said Craw.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Felix.

"Ah, don't worry about it. He likes messing with ponies' heads." said Sunset dismissively.

"And I thought that I would give my favorite unicorn in all of Equestria something to do." said Craw. "You'll see I can be a nice guy when I feel like it."

"Okay, so you're going to help us get to that fort?" asked Sunset.

"I can guide you there, but then I'm afraid I'll have to do business somewhere else." said Craw.

Sunset scoffed.

"Fine." she said. "But if you do something that will put us in more danger than what we'd already be heading into, you'll regret it. Got it?"

"It's a deal, Miss Shimmer." Craw said.

"Miss Sunset, are you sure that we three are the only ones that can handle this situation?" Felix whispered into Sunset's ear.

"I'm sure." confirmed Sunset. "But I'm afraid that one of you's going to have to give me a ride there, since I don't have wings and have no idea how to fly an airship."

Felix Summerset and King Craw looked at each other and glared intensely before turning to Sunset, awaiting her choice.

The Road to Baltimare, Part 2

"So who do you choose, Sunset Shimmer?" asked King Craw.

Sunset looked at both Felix and Craw, who were both standing next to one another, occasionally shooting glares at each other and nudging one another with their wings.

"That's something new..." thought Sunset. "Guys fighting over me...instead of because of me."

"We will not force you to make a decision you wouldn't be comfortable with." said Felix.

"Speak for yourself, Saddle Arabian." snarked Craw. "She's known me longer than she knows you, so she'll probably be more comfortable with me."

"At least I'm not some..." Felix began.

King Craw cocked his head, as if expecting Felix to say something.

"Stalker." said Felix.

King Craw sighed a little.

"For a moment there, I thought you were going to berate me for my species." he said. "Not that it would've mattered much to me."

"I don't discriminate one by their species." said Felix. "I discriminate one by their behavior. You, Changeling, are an--"

"Guys, will you stop arguing?" asked Sunset. "We need to get to the fort, and pronto! Craw, since you know where we'll be going, I'll ride on you."

"Excellent choice, my lady." said King Craw, grinning devilishly.

He bent his long, holey legs so that Sunset could ride him, but Felix quickly rushed to Sunset's side.

"Miss Sunset, are you sure about this?" asked Felix.

"Don't worry." said Sunset. "He wouldn't try doing anything to me if I'm riding on him. Besides, he looks satisfied enough to not do anything sinister to us."

Sunset got onto King Craw, who closed his red eyes and chuckled quietly to himself.

"I knew she couldn't resist me." he thought.

King Craw and Felix Summerset flew off into the sky. Teddy, who was listening in on their conversation from behind a nearby gate, exhaled uncomfortably.

"Boy, I hope Sunset knows what she's doing." he said.

Then he paused and thought for a moment.

"Wait, why didn't anypony else go with them?" he said. "I mean, if the Changelings are all there is to help her...this is ridiculous!"

Later that evening, Frosty, Nose Nip, Maud Pie, and Sunflower were sitting together at a table at Donut Joe's shop. They were all having milkshakes.

"So, how's your milkshake taste?" Nose Nip asked Maud.

"Vanilla." said Maud, blankly.

"Oh...really." said Nose Nip. "Well, at least Joe got you the right flavor."

On the outskirts of Baltimare, a group of Changelings were waiting together by a wanted poster depicting a tall unicorn covered entirely in black armor.

"Yo, what's this say?" said one of the Changelings, looking at the poster.

Another Changeling went up to the first, and started reading the wanted poster...badly.

"Ziiib-yibwobbermontercuffin!" babbled the second Changeling incomprehensibly as he perused the description.

"Oh, shut up, Glitch!" shouted the first Changeling, swatting the second in the face with his hoof.

"Break you up!" shouted Glitch, banging the first on his shoulder with his own hoof. "Yop, yop!"

"You wanna fight, then meet me somewhere!" shouted the first Changeling.

"Kengu! Glitch!" shouted a third Changeling. "Will you two quit acting like idiots?"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry..." muttered Glitch, before saying it three more times in reverse: "Yrros, yrros, yrros."

"Why'd yo pair me up with this stupid pest?!" demanded Kengu. "I'm about ready to give him the whoopin' of his life! I can't even understand a stupid thing's he's sayin'. And I just wanted to know what this wanted poster said!"

Glitch turned and pushed his hoof towards and away from Kengu while shouting, each time in a different pitch:
"Yod, yod, yod, yod!"

Translation: "You're the pest here, you violent buffoon!"

"Glitch, go check to see if those royal guards are here." said the third Changeling.

Glitch sped off, reversing himself in mid-air every so often as he did, like someone rewinding a videotape. Kengu and the other Changeling looked at the wanted poster, which had a picture of a tall pony. They were unable to see its face, which was fully-helmeted, nor its coat color, since every inch the pony's body was either in shadow or covered in black armor. However, its mane was long, red, and braided in twin tails.

"Think maybe it's one of 'em renegades?" asked Kengu.

"I doubt it." said the other Changeling, reading the poster. "'Wanted: The Dark Paladin. Reward: six hundred bits, dead or alive. Wanted for vigilante-based activities, including the unauthorized assault of six criminals, resisting arrest, and subsequent wounding of three royal guards. Last known location: Unknown. Note: Has not been seen in twenty-five years; rumored to still be active.'"

"A vigilante?" said Kengu. "Maybe we should be lookin' 'round for him, might help us with these renegade guards!"

"Kengu. I doubt the Dark Paladin, whoever he is, would help us Changelings."

Radiant Dawn and the rest of the team of royal guards, night guards, and Shadowbolts was traveling to Baltimare, and were halfway down the road.

"I have a bad feeling about this." said Skywater, who was trotting next to Radiant Dawn.

"We're all afraid to fight our own commander, too." said Radiant. "So you don't need to feel singled out."

"It's not the renegades." said Skywater. "I've heard...rumors...about a vigilante that used to roam the streets of Baltimare."

"You mean the Dark Paladin?" asked Silver Shadow.

"But that's just an old ponies' tale!" said Night Runner, clearing his throat. "Isn't it?"

"What's the Dark Paladin?" asked Radiant.

"It was this pony...a stallion, I think...that roamed Baltimare at night, and battled criminals." said Silver Shadow. "My uncle used to tell me all about him."

"Who is he, though?" asked Night Runner.

"Nopony knows." said Silver Shadow. "He always wore black armor that covered his body, and covered his face with a helmet. He was also seriously good with weapons. I heard he could throw a javelin from forty yards and hit its mark with his eyes shut."

"I wonder where he'd learn to fight like that, though." said Skywater.

"I wasn't even alive back then, but my uncle said that he heard a rumor that the Dark Paladin was either a former royal guard or somepony that desperately wanted to be a royal guard but was rebuked or something."

"Think he might be one of those renegades?" asked Radiant.

"I don't think so, Lieutenant Dawn." said Silver Shadow. "The Dark Paladin hasn't been seen in Baltimare for decades."

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the surrounding trees.

"Do you hear that?" said Radiant. "I don't like the sound of that."

"We're not alone." said Lightning Dust, who quickly came up to them, her head tilted up.

Suddenly, a loud bellowing filled the air, trees were knocked down, and thunderous footfalls shook the ground.

"LOOOOONNNNNNNGGGG RRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMM!!!" Radiant shouted as loud as he could to the other guards.

"Scatter!" Lightning Dust yelled.

The guards and Shadowbolts scattered, just as the great armored beast burst through the treeline.

"Circle formation!" shouted Radiant. "Bring him down! Don't let him escape!"

The group circled Long Rim, but the creature made no attempt to fight them.

"Umm...what's going on?" asked Lightning. "Why ain't he attacking us?"

"Because we are attacking him!" said a harsh voice from beyond the circle.

Radiant and several other guards looked around. A lone pegasus stallion in battered armor was approaching them.

"Who are you?" said Radiant.

"Zanzibar Firewing, Commander of the Canterlot Royal Guard." said the pegasus.

"So you're the one causing this trouble?!" said Lightning.

"On King Nelphyn's orders." said Firewing. "But I'm afraid that you have many problems now."

"Why?" asked Radiant.

Zanzibar Firewing made a bird-like whistle, and suddenly all the nearby trees that Long Rim did not already knock down seemed to spring to life, and dark shapes clustered around them. In seconds, dozens of silhouettes of ponies, zebras, and even gryphons were springing out of hiding places in the darkness.

"Did you think we wouldn't anticipate that the princesses would send their own guards to help those wretched Changelings?" said Firewing. "No. I know for a fact that it would be exactly what Princess Celestia would do. She is too soft, even to her worst enemies. And now I will show her how her soft side will be her downfall."

One of the renegades threw a javelin with a metal tip at a royal guard, and it struck him in the ribs. It didn't wound him too seriously, thanks to his armor, but it did knock him to the ground and make him groan with pain.

"Surrender immediately, or you all die." said Firewing. "Right here, right now."

"Sir, what do we do?" Green Aether asked Radiant.

"Forget it, Firewing!" said Radiant. "None of us are gonna be hostages! We won't let you take us prisoner!"

"Fine." said Firewing grimly. "If that's what you choose, then I will be obliged to see it through. However, I think you deserve a headstart, seeing as you fools used to be my comrades."

"A headstart?" Silver Shadow whispered to Night Runner. "What's he talkin' about?"

Several glints of light appeared in the darkness that was the crowd of renegades, which seemed to open up in several places.

"My little ponies..." said Firewing. "Run for your lives!"

Before he even finished his sentence, the air was filled with cylindrical objects with fuses.

"Dynamite!" shouted a guard.

"TNT!" shouted a Shadowbolt.

Radiant Dawn, Long Rim, and the others all burst through the gaps in the army of renegades to evade the ensuing explosions, scattering into the forest. Most of them escaped, but several of them, including Radiant Dawn, Lightning Dust, Crimson Cloud and Night Runner were flung through the air by the blasts and hit the ground, scorched and aching all over.

"The hunt's on, boys!" Firewing shouted to the others. "And it's open season! Hunt down and kill whoever you see fit!"

The renegades cheered wildly, and galloped or flew on after the guards and Shadowbolts that escaped. Firewing himself turned to look at the ones that were injured by the blast.

"As for them..." Firewing said to a few of the renegades that stayed behind. "Take them to the fort! I may have use for them."

Radiant was coughing and groaning where he lay on the ground, trying to fight the incessant ringing in his ears as he crawled to get to Lightning Dust, who appeared to be unconscious.

"Don't...worry..." he panted. "I'll...getcha...outta here!"

Suddenly a pair of armored zebras appeared beside him, and bludgeoned him on the head with their plated hooves. In less than a second, Radiant blacked out.

Welcome to Fort Echidna

Radiant Dawn slowly opened his copper eyes, to find himself laying sideways and chained by his hooves to a stone-cold floor in a dark underground chamber, not too different from the prison cell he was in when he was taken to Lord Umbriel's Vanhoover stronghold. His body was still aching all over from the dynamite explosions, but at least the ringing sensation had worn off. However, the strange silence didn't make him feel any better. In fact, he was afraid that he might have gone deaf.

"Ugh..." he groaned. "Where the heck am I supposed to be?"

He sighed, knowing that he could at least hear himself. Then he groaned again when he felt a sharp pain in his left ribs.

"Boy, I feel like garbage." he said.

"Oh, that's nothing compared to what I had to deal with as a royal guard." said a voice.

Radiant looked up, and saw Royal Commander Firewing standing over him. By all rights, Radiant should have been furious and struggling to get back at him for what he did. But he was too fatigued and confused to argue.

"What d'ya mean?" he asked instead.

Firewing put his front-right hoof around the front-left, and slowly unclipped three latches on the hoof's armor plating, that Radiant didn't notice until just that moment. Firewing removed not only the armor, but the entire hoof by doing so.

"What the...how?!" Radiant sputtered, confused.

"This happened to me when I was just a sergeant." Firewing explained. "It was a routine peacekeeping mission in the Smokey Mountains. My squad was ambushed by minotaur bandits, who wiped out half my team, and captured and mutilated the other half. One of them even sawed off this hoof, and bit and stabbed me several times in my ear."

He pointed to his right ear, which Radiant just noticed was at a jaunty angle, and was scarred and bruised.

"So I had to have prosthetics added here and there." continued Firewing.

"Boy, I'm sure sorry--Agh!" Radiant coughed. "Sorry to hear that. But what happened to the minotaurs?"

"Another squad of royal guards arrived and arrested them." said Firewing, sourly. "They were taken to Canterlot, and put on trial...and just received a prison sentence."

He spat on the floor, bitterly.

"Me and my soldiers were tortured disfigured beyond any hope of conventional recovery, and those fiends just got fifty years in prison. That's when I first realized that Princess Celestia wasn't worth serving for long."

"But...fifty years sounds reasonable enough for..."

"Those monsters deserved nothing less than an equal punishment!" Firewing snapped. "After what I both witnessed and experienced, they deserved a fate worse than death!"

"This guy's clearly nuts!" thought Radiant. "Better not do anything to make him mad...yet."

Radiant decided to change the subject.

"So...where the heck am I, anyhow?" asked Radiant.

"Fort Echidna." said Firewing. "The very first stronghold of Equestria's Royal Guard. Or, so it was. It was abandoned long ago...at least, officially. But unofficially..."

"You renegades are using it like your own private club-house."

"And it only took the disposal of one pesky Changeling for us to completely take it over." said Firewing.

"But why are you turning traitor now?" asked Radiant. "Why would you serve somepony like King Nelphyn?"

"I have my reasons, and they're better than senselessly risking my life for Princess Celestia." said Firewing.

"Fine, I'll take your word for it...I guess." Radiant Dawn muttered, then continued aloud. "But where are the other guards that were captured? Where's Lightning Dust?"

"If you mean the blonde pegasus, she's in another cell with the rest of those clueless fools." said Firewing.

Lightning Dust laid in another cell, and Sigma and Canopy were tied up, right across from her.

"Looks like you guys finally know what it's like being somepony else's prisoner, huh?" she smirked.

"You're one to talk." countered Canopy.

Lightning Dust looked at her chest, which had a rope tied around it that bound her wings in place.

"Okay, ya got me there." said Lightning, sheepishly. "So you two've been here for some time now. What are these renegades like?"

"They're all completely insane." said Canopy. "All of them."

"They ac' lik' a buncha sav'ges, cover 'emsel'es in war-paint, and..."

"They eat meat!" both Changelings said at once. "All the time!"

"Dude, that's messed up." said Lightning, disgusted.

"And that's not even getting into what they actually do." said Canopy.

The cell door started to rattle, and an earth pony stallion in crude tribal-looking armor peered through the bars at Lightning. He was munching on a turkey leg as he did so.

"Hey, blondie!" said the jailor, who was talking even as his mouth was full. "If these Changelings are givin' ya a hard time...you can join me in my bunk! Lotsa fun! Heh, heh, heh..."

Then the jailor backed away. As soon as he was out of sight, Lightning shuddered.

"I hope Radiant's okay, wherever he is."

"And whatever would a bunch of royal guards be doing here, anyway?" asked Canopy.

"The princesses sent us to help you guys escape from the renegades." said Lightning.

"Well, yo' sho' doin' a good job, 'en!" snarked Sigma.

Lightning Dust just looked at the Changelings, unamused.

"Maud?" asked Nose Nip.

"Yes?" replied Maud.

"Thank you for coming to Canterlot." said Nose Nip. "I...love you. More than any other mare I've met."

"Thank you, that's nice." said Maud, flatly. "You are a nice pony, Nose Nip. I appreciate all that you've done with me."

"And I appreciate that you can appreciate what I do." said Nose Nip. "Unlike a certain sompony."

He turned to Frosty and Sunflower, who were chattering about something.

"So, den I says to him 'Look, buddy! I got three mo' customers behind ya, so if ya don't have what you were lookin' fo', then get outta here!'" Sunflower was telling Frosty. "But he just kept goin' on and on! I jus' wanted ta kick his flank to da curb!"

"That's a very funny story, Sunflower." said Frosty.

"No, the part where I really did kick his flank to da coib...that's what was funny! That'll teach him to hold up a line at my store!"

"Sure is." chuckled Frosty.

Frosty and Sunflower continued to chatter noisily about Celestia-knows-what for probably a half-hour, when suddenly the front door swung open and Teddy barged in.

"Guys!" he exclaimed, out-of-breath. "Big trouble! Sunset--help--please!"

"Teddy, do you mind?" said Frosty. "We kinda have a double date right now!"

"Are you kidding me?" groaned Teddy, frustrated. "Sunset Shimmer's going to be fighting renegade royal guards, and you didn't even do anything about it?!"

"I'm sure Trixie or--"

"None of her friends with her!" said Teddy. "And apparently Lightning Dust and Radiant Dawn are also involved with fighting those royal guards."

"What?!" said Nose Nip exclaimed. "Why didn't Sunset say--"

He turned to Maud.

"I'm sorry, but we're gonna have to cut this date short." he told her, regretfully.

"It doesn't have to end." said Maud. "I could come with you."

"You...you would?" asked Nose Nip. "But wouldn't you rather go back to the rock farm?"

"I'm sure my family won't mind if I went away for a while." said Maud. "Besides, I like to spend time with you."

Nose Nip blushed.

"Look, I wanna help 'em as much as you guys..." said Frosty. "But I just wanna take it easy and just have a date without something weird going on. I mean, I guess it depends on where this is happening."

"Sunset said it was happening near Baltimare." said Teddy.

"Baltimare, huh?" asked Sunflower. "I think I'd like ta go there, actually. I had a few things to get for my store from there, anyways."

"So you're coming, too?" asked Frosty.

"I don't see why not, little man." Sunflower batted her green eyes.

Frosty nervously scratched his mane.

"We still ought to find the others, though." said Teddy.

"Umm...right!" Frosty nodded quickly.

"I...the Great and Powerful Trrrrrrixie...!" Trixie Lulamoon announced to her crowd.

"Will have to cut this show short!" Teddy rushed onto the stage, disrupting Trixie's magic show. "Sorry, folks! But we've got some technical problems, and the show will have to be postponed!"

Several audience members groaned in dismay, since they genuinely wanted to see Trixie's show, as they left.

"Teddy, how dare you interrupt Trixie's performance!" Trixie exclaimed, annoyed.

"How dare you just let Sunset Shimmer go off on her own to fight renegade guards?!" countered Teddy.

"And Radiant and Lightning are out there, too!" said Nose Nip.

"Wait, Sunset was serious?" Trixie said, her eyes wide open. "Then Trixie shall go where she is needed!"

"Thank you, Trixie!" Teddy shouted in relief.

He sporadically grabbed Trixie, and kissed her so hard that Trixie's hat fell off her head. Trixie stood there for a second, blushing and then reddening with anger.

"You...kissed me?!" Trixie fumed.

"Oh...I'm sorry, Trixie." Teddy said quickly, realizing what he just did. "I do all kinds of stupid stuff when I get excited!"

Trixie sighed, and closed her eyes.

"When we're done helping Sunset, I'm going to let you have it." she said, flatly. "Understand?"

"Yes!" quaked Teddy. "Just don't hurt me in the mean-time!"

"Ugh...that was revolting!" Pressure Point said, leaving his hospital for his apartment. "I hope I never have to do one of those ever again as long as I live!"

Teddy and the others passed by him, when Trixie stopped.

"Cousin, we are in need of your assistance." said Trixie. "Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, and Lightning Dust."

"And why should I help you guys again?" asked Pressure Point. "I just got done doing a C-section, and it was not pretty!"

"Fine, if you want to just stay and clean up the afterbirth..." said Trixie.

"Okay, okay." said Pressure. "I'll come along. But don't expect me to do any more favors!"

Teddy and the others went to the apartment of Sunset Shimmer's parents. Teddy knocked on the door.

"Come back later, please!" Scarlet's voice called from inside.

"Please! This is an emergency!" said Teddy. "Your kids are in terrible danger!"

There was a loud rustling, and rapid hoof-falls and Scarlet Blaze swung the door wide open, wearing a stained green bathrobe.

"What's going on?" she spoke quickly. "Where are Radiant and Sunset?"

"Probably half-way to Baltimare." said Teddy. "Radiant and Lightning were sent with some guards to fight some renegades near that city. And then Sunset went after them."

"She what?!" Scarlet exclaimed. "And you didn't try stopping her?"

"I tried to, but she and that Saddle Arabian guy left before I could!" said Teddy.

"Well, at least Felix is with her." said Scarlet. "But still, we need to do something about this!"

"Our thoughts exactly, Scarlet!" said Nose Nip. "Just wake your husband, and meet us at the Summerstar! I'm flying all of us to Baltimare by sunrise!"

"Got it!" Scarlet nodded, then shut the door.

She went into the bedroom, where a sweat-covered Golden Sun was laying on his back on the mattress, panting.

"Husband, let's go!" Scarlet said, urgently.

"But I'm so tired, Scarlet." Golden Sun panted. "If I lift another weight, I might have a heart attack!"

"No!" said Scarlet. "I mean, we need to leave! Our children are in trouble in Baltimare!"

"B-Baltimare?" Golden Sun sputtered. "What in the world would they be doing there?"

"Long story!" said Scarlet. "We need to get ourselves dressed and ready to leave! We're going on the Summerstar!"

"Right!" said Golden Sun. "I oughta get my books! Maybe we'll need them."

Breaching Fort Echidna, Part 2

Juggsman brought Sunset Shimmer and Felix Summerset into a holding cell. He shut the cell door, and shapeshifted into King Craw. Sunset and Felix promptly woke up.

"There you go, my dear Sunset." said Craw. "I've gotten you into the fort. Now, my work here is done."

He turned back to face the door and was about to turn back into Juggsman, when Sunset suddenly rushed to him.

"Wait, you're just going to leave us here?!" Sunset exclaimed.

"Like I said, I have other business to attend to." said Craw. "You're a smart unicorn, Miss Shimmer. That, I can tell for certain. I'm sure you and Felix can find a way to save your brother from here."

"But you could help us so much here." said Sunset. "Please, Craw. Could you stay a little longer?"

"Forgive me, my lady." said Craw. "But I don't take requests. Now farewell."

Sunset thought about her next strategy for a moment.

"Wait...Craw." said Sunset. "I can make it worth your while."

Craw halted.

"I'm listening." he said, turning around and grinning.

Sunset walked up to Craw, and leaned suggestively against Craw.

"You'll see, honey." said Sunset. "You'll get a big reward for this. I promise."

"Interesting." said Craw. "Well, that leaves a lot to the imagination, doesn't it?"

"Anything for my favorite Changeling!" said Sunset, nuzzling against Craw.

"How cute!" thought Craw. "A pony trying to seduce a Changeling!"

"Okay, Sunset Shimmer." said King Craw, aloud. "I'll play along."

"Thank you." said Sunset.

King Craw turned around, and put one of his front hooves around one of Sunset's, and bent his long neck down to kiss it.

"King Synthe von Craw III, at your service." he said, smarmily. "At least for now. When this is over, I expect something in return."

Sunset paused nervously.

"What...did you have in mind?" she asked wearily.

"I want you..." said Craw. "To accept my proposal: Sunset Shimmer, will you be my bride?"

Sunset and Felix both looked at Craw, shocked and wide-eyed.

"Your...bride?" repeated Sunset.

"Yes." said Craw. "You've fascinated me more than any other pony I've met in my life, and that's really saying something. I don't expect this to be done here and now, since you clearly have a lot planned for the near future. But one day, I expect you to hold your word, and become my consort."

Sunset looked up at Craw nervously. She wanted to say "No!" with all her heart. But as she looked into King Craw's red eyes, she couldn't help but think about his human counterpart, who she loved dearly. Though this Craw was not only much older, but a Changeling as well, she could sense some of the same passion that Sergeant Craw had burning inside those eyes. The kind of passion she had grown to love.

"I..." Sunset said, with much hesitation and reluctance. "I will. Wait, I mean I..."

"Miss Sunset, think about what you're doing!" said Felix. "Are you sure you can trust this Changeling? And I mean truly trust him enough to agree to something like that?"

"He does have a point, Sunset Shimmer." said Craw, still gripping Sunset's hoof. "I won't force you to do anything that you would hate. If you don't really want to marry me, then I'm absolutely confident that you can find a way to get yourself out of this situation without my help."

"Well, of course she doesn't--" Felix began.

"Shh!" said Sunset. "Felix, let me handle this!"

Sunset stammered. She looked at Craw, and her heart started throbbing. Her muzzle was reddening slightly and she started to pant. Then she thought about her brother, and remembered what was more urgent.

"Look, I need some serious time to think about this!" she said quickly. "But we won't get that kind of time while we waste time in this fort! Craw, I'll give you your answer later, when I've had time to think about it! If you don't really want to help me now, then you're free to go and do whatever."

"If that's how you feel." said Craw. "But still, I think I may need a little...pick-me-up from the last fight."

"What do you--" Sunset said, before gasping.

Craw's horn and eyes glowed with a red aura that began to cover Sunset's body. She felt her body trembling and she started to lose her breath. She felt energy growing inside her and then suddenly leaving. When the aura faded, Sunset sank onto her hind legs, gasping for air.

"Miss Sunset, are you okay?" Felix whispered behind her.

"I'm okay." Sunset nodded back, calmed. "But still...what did you just do to me, Craw?"

"I fed off your love." said Craw. "Don't worry, though. I didn't take too much of it. In fact, I think you'll find it easier to concentrate now."

King Craw let go of Sunset, and walked back to the cell door, shapeshifting into the gargantuan earth pony Juggsman. He opened the cell door and left it ajar.

"Catch y'all later!" he said.

Once the loud hoof-falls faded into the distance, Felix turned to Sunset.

"What was that all about?" asked Felix.

"It's a very long story." said Sunset. "But we can't talk about it now. First, we need to find where the others are being held prisoner."

There was another set of hoof-falls, and another templar was patrolling the corridors outside the holding cells. Felix crept up to the doorway, waiting silently. Once the templar passed by and stopped to notice the ajar door, Felix swung it open and tackled the guard. He saw that the templar dropped a blowgun that was slung to his armor during the scuffle, and grabbed it. Felix hoof-punched the templar in the head, rendering his unconscious. Sunset, at that moment, teleported out of the holding-cell. Just as she did, another templar, this time a gryphon, caught sight of the flash of bluish-green light from her spell.

"Prisoners escaping?" he said. "Not on my watch! I have to tell--"

ppppphhhhhhhiiiip!

Felix loaded the blowgun with a dart, and blew into it hard, shooting the projectile square into the gryphon's neck. The gryphon gagged and flailed around before suddenly dropping to the floor, dead as a doornail. Felix and Sunset both looked on in surprise, and were horrified as a silvery-blue foam bubbled around the spot where the dart struck the gryphon. Felix rushed over to the gryphon's body, and sniffed the foamy substance.

"Cyanide." he said. "These darts have cyanide in them! Miss Sunset, we need to hide these bodies!"

"Got it!" said Sunset, using her telekinesis to levitate the two guards into the holding-cell, and then shutting the door. After Felix, grabbed the rest of the satchel containing the poisonous darts, then they went on down the corridor, inspecting the other holding cells.

They came upon two templars, one a pegasus and the other a zebra, conversing with each other.

"So, did you ever...you know, have fun with any of the prisoners?" asked the zebra.

"All the time." said the pegasus. "Torturing Changelings is fun!"

Felix loaded another dart into his blowgun, and shot the pegasus templar in the neck, killing him even faster than the gryphon.

"What the--" the zebra exclaimed.

But Sunset teleported on top of him and grappled with him, putting him in a stranglehold.

"Where's my brother?!" she growled. "Answer, and I'll let you go!"

"I...don't...know!" groaned the zebra.

"He's a big red unicorn stallion!" said Sunset. "Crazy red-and-orange mane, copper eyes, he's not that hard to miss! Likely wearing guard armor!"

"Oh, yes! The prisoners that were brought in last night!" said the zebra. "They're being tasked to help construct the new tunnels for this fort! They're just one level up, being overseen by the other templars!"

"Thanks!" said Sunset. "Just for that, we'll promise not to kill you."

"Oh, thank you so--"

Thump!

The zebra was knocked out cold by Felix, even as Sunset eased her grip on him. The two went up the stairway to the next level. They were now in a massive network of tunnels that looked more like a mine than a fortress. There were support beams and overhanging lanterns running down the middle of each tunnel, the ground was less man-made and covered in dirt, and there were huge red barrels with long black fuses protruding from the top and "XXX" or "TNT" labeled on the side stacked here and there. There were also the sounds of wheels rolling along the ground and whips cracking in the darkness.

Radiant Dawn, Sigma, Canopy, Lightning Dust, and several other ponies and Changelings were forced to work on the tunnels, and several templars were lashing the prisoners with whips to keep working. If any unicorns or Changelings tried using magic, they would be shot and killed with the poisonous darts fired down at them from more templars above.

Radiant, being the largest and strongest prisoner, was instructed to haul a large wagon carrying mining equipment for the other workers and prisoners to use. Lightning Dust had to carry heavy barrels of gunpowder to sites where they would be detonated to make more room for work. The Changelings, however, had to do all the hard work: digging and mining the tunnels, detonating the explosive manually, and receiving the shortest break periods of all the prisoners. What was more, none of the prisoners were allowed to fly or use their magic.

"Radiant, what're the chances of the other guards finding us?" asked Lightning, during one of their break periods. "If I have to carry another barrel, I might break my back! I'm a pegasus! I'm built for speed, not heavy lifting!"

"We just have to hope that the other guards made it to Baltimare, or at least to the Changeling Elite." said Radiant, whose throat was parched from the hot subterranean air. "I'm sure someone will find us!"

"But how?" asked Lightning Dust. "We must be, like, a kajillion miles below Fort Echidna...or whatever they call that place."

There was a whip crack.

"Break's over!" shouted an earth pony templar. "Both of you, get back to work!"

Radiant growled angrily.

"Radiant, it's best to do what he says." said Lightning, trying to calm her boyfriend down. "These guys don't look like they tolerate slackers or ponies with an attitude."

"Just they all wait." thought Radiant, as he was getting the yoke put back on him to pull the wagon again. "One disturbance, one chink in their watch, and I'll be all over these guys."

"Get to work, pretty-boy!" said a nearby overseer, lashing him hard with his bullwhip.

Radiant pushed forward, grunting as he hauled the wagon.

"So...thirsty." he moaned. "Need...water."

Suddenly, a bowl of water was splashed down on his head from above.

"There ya go!" shouted another overseer on a high observation platform. "Now get going, big boy!"

Radiant kept going, feeling more and more humiliated with every step he took. Not only was he being forced to do hard labor for the first time in his life and being whipped every so often, but the ensemble of tribal ornaments and rags he was being forced to wear was uncomfortable and made him look like he should be in some kind of male harem.

"At least I'm not bound and gagged." Radiant thought, optimistically. "I bet these templar guys are making me wear this stuff for some reason other than labor. I just hope it's not for...No, I'm not gonna go there! Just keep working, Radiant. I'm sure we'll get outta Crazyland somehow."

Suddenly, there was a loud crashing noise in the distance and the sound of fighting and raised voices.

The Assault on Fort Echidna

The Summerstar was just twenty minutes away from Baltimare. Nose Nip was scanning the ground to see if Sunset Shimmer, Lightning Dust, or Radiant might have been done there. Suddenly, he noticed several royal guards charging through the trees to a ruined fort near a river.

"Hey!" he called to the others, who were waiting idly by. "I think somepony ought to come see this!"

Teddy, Frosty, and Scarlet Blaze went to look through the reinforced glass windows.

"Looks like there's somethin' goin' on down dere!" said Frosty, looking through a low window.

"That must be where Radiant was sent!" said Scarlet. "Nose Nip, we need to land!"

"No can do!" said Nose Nip. "Sorry, but there's too many trees down there! If this thing wasn't so darn big, maybe we could land this thing! But I just don't see it happening while we're over this forest! We'll have to either circle around to find a good spot to land, or keep flying to Baltimare!"

"Fine, then circle around." said Scarlet. "But we should drop smoke-signals down on those ruins, in case we get lost!"

"Got it!" said Teddy, before adding confused. "Umm...how?"

"Frosty and I found an armory on this airship." said Scarlet. "It's very understocked--we'll have to fill it up sometime along the line. But it has canisters of red smoke to mark landing sites. If you can drop them through the cab's cargo doors, it'd be much appreciated! If you're wondering where it is, it'll be the second door on the right."

"Right!" acknowledged Teddy.

He ran down the corridor to the armory door. He opened it, and grabbed as many canisters as he could. He opened the loading door meant for cargo, and fought the strong wind to open the canisters and drop them down on the ruined fort. As they hit the ground, pillars of red smoke rose up. He hit the switch that sealed the cargo bay door, and ran back to the Summerstar's bridge.

"Okay, the ruins are marked!" said Teddy.

"Right!" said Nose Nip. "Turnin' this baby around right now! Frosty, let's ease up on the hot air!"

"Should we throw Pressure Point off, then?" snarked Frosty.

"No, I mean let the engines die down a little!" said Nose Nip.

"I knew dat, I knew dat!" said Frosty, chuckling. "Just a little joke!"

He galloped downstairs to the engine room, to make the proper adjustments.

The royal guards and Changeling Elite, along with a platoon of reinforcements from the Baltimare garrison, were combing the forest for the area where the renegades' blowguns were being constructed. Suddenly, something caught their attention.

"What in Equestria is that?!" exclaimed Skywater, looking up at the sky at the vast airship that cast a shadow over a big portion of the woodlands outside Baltimare.

"It's a dragon!" said Kengu.

"It's a blimp!" said Silver Shadow.

"No...that's a zeppelin." said Sky Boom. "You see, blimps are inflatable like a balloon, while zeppelins have a skeletal frame and--"

"Look, whatever that thing is..." said Commander Grubb. "It's dropping smoke-signals. Whoever's in that thing must be telling us where to find the renegades!"

"...Or trying to lure us into a trap!" said another elite Changeling soldier, uncertainly.

"Let's take our chances, anyway!" said a royal guard from Baltimare.

They went to the site where the smoke canisters were dropped, and came to a cave overlooking the mouth of a river.

"That must be the entrance to the renegades' base!" said Grubb. "Good. We'll teach them to mess with the Changeling Empire!"

"Let's move in!" said Silver Shadow, turning to the other ponies. "Let's kick some renegade tail!"

The royal guards and Changeling Elite flew and galloped into the cave, which had a long tunnel that sloped down. They eventually came into a large, spacious cavern dotted with powder kegs and various mining-equipment. There, several ponies and Changelings were being forced to mine and dig by the templars.

"There they are!" said Grubb. "And they're using our people for labor! It's a disgrace!"

He hissed furiously as he watched two templars whipping a Changeling drone to within an inch of his life. He flew up to a hanging platform, emitted green sparks from his horn to light the fuse of a nearby powder keg, and shoved it over the edge. It hit the ground, and detonated in the middle of a group of templars, killing or injuring them all.

"Attack!" shouted Grubb, dropping down on another templar.

The royal guards and Changelings charged in and mobbed the templar overseers, while simultaneously prompting the prisoners to break free.

"Sir, the Canterlot Royal Guard has discovered us!" a tall unicorn templar said to Royal Commander Firewing, who was recording an entry in his journal. "And they've already discovered our secret entrance!"

He stopped, and turned around, with a disappointed expression on his face.

"Scramble the other guards now, lieutenant." said Firewing. "And I think it's time to unveil our special weapon."

"Are you sure it's time to test it, commander?" asked the lieutenant.

"Yes, I do." said Firewing. "Though I really wanted to save it for the princesses or the Changeling Royal Family if they ever stepped in personally, I think nothing's wrong with a field test. It's not like the weapon will leave any witnesses, anyways. Unless, the weapon wasn't built to my own specifications?"

"Of course it was, sir." said the lieutenant. "I'll tell our armorers to bring it out!"

Radiant Dawn decided he was too tired to continue pulling the cart. He had to find a way to escape this insane work camp.

"Ow! Aahhhh...." he feigned pain. "I'm too sore!"

"What's the problem, pretty-boy?" said an overseer.

"This cart's murdering my spine!" said Radiant, groaning. "I--ow!--can't--ooowwww!--Keep working under--ah...these conditions!"

"But you ain't got too far to go, pretty-boy!" said the overseer. "Here's some motivation for ya!"

"Yeah?" asked Radiant.

"If you get this last wagon to its destination, pretty-boy, you can go clean our latrines!"

There was another rumble in the distance.

"What was that?" said Radiant.

"Nothin' you have to worry about, pretty-boy!"

"I have a name, you know!" growled Radiant.

"Names don't mean a thing around here." said the overseer. "You don't see any of us templars wearing a name tag, do ya? I just call 'em as I see 'em!"

Radiant wasn't listening to him, though. He was taking this amount of time in which the overseer was distracted to listen to the distant noises. There were raised voices, hoof-falls...sounds of magic being used, and metallic weapons clashing!

"Okay, pretty-boy." said the overseer. "Back to work."

Radiant did not respond.

"Pretty-boy, oh pretty-boy! Pretty-boy? Oh, Pretty-boy. Pretty-boy, pretty-boy, prett--"

Suddenly, a toxic dart struck the overseer on the neck, killing him in seconds. As he fell to the ground, A tall pegasus dropped down and loosened Radiant Dawn from the cart.

"Radiant Dawn?" said the pegasus.

"Yeah, that's me." said Radiant.

"I am Felix Summerset, paladin of Saddle Arabia." said the pegasus. "I am honored to finally meet you at last. I came here with your sister. She and I split up to look for you."

"Really?" said Radiant. "Sunny came here to help? Did anyone else come?"

"None of her friends would go with her, so I had to go with her instead." said Felix.

"But how'd you find out where we--"

There was an explosion nearby, and several templars and overseers were blasted against the walls.

"What the heck's going on?" asked Radiant.

"I don't know." said Felix. "But whatever it is, it's buying us time to escape and regroup. Are you fit to fight?"

"Darn right, I'm fit to fight!" said Radiant. "Let's show these templars how we Saddle Arabians do things!"

Suddenly, they heard a number of raised voices from above.

"The commander needs this thing set-up now!" shouted a zebra templar.

Felix and Radiant looked up, and saw a group of templars consisting of a three ponies carrying a large, chrome cylindrical object, a gryphon carrying a number of belt-like objects in one claw, another gryphon carrying what appeared to be a tripod stand, and a zebra at the front leading the group.

"What the heck could that thing be?" asked Radiant.

"I don't know for certain." said Felix. "But whatever it is, it probably won't do us any good."

"Let's try and get 'em!" Radiant said.

Suddenly, at least fifty more templars charged along the path the group of carriers went, making the idea of going after them from that way seem irrational, and even suicidal.

"We'll have to find another way around!" said Felix. "That way will just be too dangerous for the two of us alone."

The two went on through a lower passageway.

Sunset Shimmer was frantically searching the labor area for her brother. It seemed that every ten seconds, two or three templars would notice and try to stop her, only to be blasted away with Sunset's magic. A few times Sunset had to teleport from platform to platform to dodge the darts shot at her. It was even worse than her battle with the Chrysalis Syndicate, since unlike the Syndicate's loud and audible guns, Sunset had to rely on nothing but instinct to make sure her life wasn't suddenly taken away by some vile projectile.

She also couldn't see the darts or the templars firing them too well in the poorly-lit underground labor area, so she simply could not afford to stand still for more than three seconds, in case one of them tried sneaking up and sniping her from behind. And if she was hit just once...that was it. She would be done for, no questions asked.

Still, she couldn't just give up, either. She came here knowing what she was doing, and intended to see it through. If her brother could survive here, so could she. She teleported again, and blasted a pair of overseers with a concussive spell.

"Go!" said Sunset, looking down at the pony and Changeling laborers. "Get yourselves out of here, before more templars come this way!"

The Changelings and ponies looked up with uncertainty.

"Look, either die fighting to save your life, or die huddled up in a corner!" said Sunset.

"Let's go!" shouted a laborer, rallying his fellows and raising the spade he was using. "Down with the templars!"

The laborers shouted and cheered, even the Changelings, a few of which took off into the air with their horns glowing...only to suddenly be shot and killed by more toxic darts. Sunset gasped and looked up. Up on a higher ledge, Royal Commander Firewing stood holding an unlit dynamite stick in his hoof. But he wasn't alone, since around twenty templars armed with blowguns and javelins were huddled around him, pointing their weapons down at Sunset and the prisoners.

"I never pictured you to be the Spartacus type, Sunset Shimmer." said Firewing. "When will you fools learn that revolting will only make things worse for yourselves, not better?"

"We'll just see about that, commander!" said Sunset. "You're going to go down, somehow!"

"I doubt that." retorted Firewing. "You can all forget about anypony saving you now."

"Why?" asked Sunset.

The royal guards and Changeling Elite had the templars guarding the labor area totally at their mercy, and were struggling to reach the tunnel that led down to the labor and prison areas, when suddenly there was a noise of whining machinery from above.

"What in the name of Celestia...?!" exclaimed a Baltimare guard.

The groups looked up in awe, as a group of templars finished assembling some kind of device, and were pointing it down at the assault team. One of the templars fit the belt-like objects halfway through the middle of the device and adjusted a slide at the top, while another cranked a wheel with a handle on the side that caused the device to whine louder, and its ten long cylinders started to spin, going faster and faster, until...

Discharging the Commander

The combined assault team scattered as the templars' Gatling Gun discharged hot lead down on them. Several ponies and Changelings were mowed down by the gun's stream of .45 caliber bullets, but others managed to duck into potholes, while others hid behind corners, support beams, and crates. There was little they could hope to do, but wait for the gunfire to cease.

A loud, constant pounding echoed throughout the underground levels, and it didn't take to long for Sunset Shimmer to recognize the sound: someone was discharging a machine gun of some kind!

"You hear that, Sunset Shimmer?" asked Royal Commander Firewing, coldly. "That is the sound of my weapon making mincemeat of those other intruders! If there's anything I regret, it's that your precious princesses weren't around...so I could use it on them, too!"

"You...heartless...murdering...beast!" shrieked Sunset, horrified.

"They all got exactly what was coming to them!" said Firewing, angrily. "Those who choose to live like oblivious fools deserve to die like oblivious fools! The same goes to the Changelings! They can all die like the bugs they are! They will all learn the hard way, that the Neo-Templars are superior to any royal guard, any drone, any two-bit group of misfits that their respective leaders could ever throw at us!"

Just like that, Sunset Shimmer just snapped: ground her teeth furiously, and her horn started to glow.

"I wanted...to be nice." she growled. "I wanted to show compassion, and give you a chance to see the error of your ways, Firewing. The way Princess Celestia or even Twilight Sparkle would've done. But you totally blew it! You're going down today, and there's nothing your army of psychopathic freaks will do to change that! Nothing!"

"Oh, really?" retorted Firewing. "Templars, open fire now! Kill her!"

The templars all fired their blowguns and hurled their javelins at one target: Sunset Shimmer. But Sunset's used her telekinesis to levitate all the mining equipment and powder kegs nearby, and threw them all at the templars. Then she unleashed the greatest concussive blast she could muster at the objects, shattering or detonating them all just inches from Firewing's soldiers. Several of them were set ablaze or outright killed by the impact, while others fled in terror back to the upper levels.

"That's right!" she shouted. "You better run!"

But as soon as the smoke cleared, she noticed that Royal Commander Firewing was nowhere in sight. Growling angrily, she teleported up to the high levels, trying to deduce which way Firewing had gone. She took a moment to look at all the dead and scorched templars around her. She just realized the horrible thing she just did, and regretted it dearly. But she knew this wasn't the time to start moping over it. She had to find Firewing and somehow stop him before he could do any further harm to the citizens of Equestria and the Changeling Empire.

"Quick!" she shouted to the prisoners below. "Now's your chance to escape! Do it now, or it'll be too late!"

The prisoners took her word this time, and fled unscathed from the labor area. Then Sunset noticed that one of the templars was still alive. She teleported over to him, and pinned him down with her front hooves.

"Where's your commander?" she demanded. "Where'd he go?!"

"Upstairs, to the next...level." said the templar, painfully.

Sunset let go, and ran up the stairway to the next level.

Teddy and the others, after landing the Summerstar, reached the ruins of Fort Echidna, when several concealed trap-doors suddenly opened up around them. Several ponies, gryphons, and zebras in tribal gear climbed out, clearly trying to escape from something. When they noticed the five newcomers, they stopped, formed a phalanx and took out their spears and javelins. One of them threw a javelin straight at Scarlet Blaze, who simply swiped it out of the air with her hoof, and flicked it around. Then she shot a cluster of projectiles from her horn into the middle of the group of templars, and then charged at them, knocking them aside with her new weapon. All the templars that weren't incapacitated by either attack simply dropped their weapons and fled for their lives.

"Dang, Scarlet!" exclaimed Frosty. "Dat was awesome!"

"That's just one of the reasons I'm glad to have her as my wife!" said Golden Sun, nodding in agreement.

They could hear the faint echoing of a repeated pounding noise and more yelling from down below.

"Sounds like we're just in time for their party." said Scarlet. "Let's go down and give our children some help!"

"Got it, dear!" said Golden Sun, as they and the others climbed down the trap-doors.

"All right, this is where I draw the line!" Canopy shouted while she and Sigma were digging a tunnel. "Darts or not, I'm not doing this degrading job any longer!"

"We got a problem here, bugs?" said an overseer. "Don't let the noises distract you. You still have your job, now do it! You're not resting till you get three more feet dug in!"

"Rest on this!" Canopy retorted, her horn glowing.

The overseer's eyes shuddered, and he fell to the dirt floor unconscious.

"Why didn't ya do 'at in the first place?!" questioned Sigma.

"I don't know, Ziggy." said Canopy. "I don't know."

Lightning Dust flew up to them, having just escaped from her own overseers.

"Boy, this place is really going nuts lately." she said. "Seriously, it's like a war zone or something. C'mon, let's find the prisoners below and get the buck outta here!"

Radiant Dawn and Felix Summerset snuck up to the level where they saw the templars carrying those strange objects. They followed the source of the loud pounding, and crept around a corner to see what it was.

"How'd these guys get a machine gun?!" Radiant whispered to Felix as they looked at the Gatling Gun, which was being fired at someone below.

"I have no idea." Felix shook his head, just as puzzled as Radiant. "But whatever it is, we've got to get them away from that thing. Radiant, I'll take out the gunner. And then you can take care of the rest of that weapon's crew!"

"Look, the gun's stopped!" said Radiant, pointing towards the Gatling Gun. "It's stopped firing..."

"But they haven't run out of ammunition!" said Felix, noticing the ammo belt still in the middle of the weapon.

"That mean's that the gun's either jammed or overheated." said Radiant. "Now's as good a time as any, so take your shot!"

Felix loaded a dart into his blowgun, and shot the gunner in the head, killing him easily. Before the other templars responsible for aiming and re-loading the gun could make of what just happened, Radiant charged forward, and knocked them all off the platform. The royal guards and Changelings below cheered, then proceeded down to the other labor areas.

"Hey-Ya, Radiant!" said a familiar voice.

Radiant turned to see Frosty and Nose Nip.

"What're you guys doing here?" he said, surprised.

"We're here to help!" said Nose Nip. "What's it look like we're doing here?"

Frosty turned to the Gatling Gun.

"Sweet! A machine gun!" said Frosty. "I always wanted to have one of those! We gotta bring it back to da Summerstar when dis is all over!"

"But where are the others?" asked Radiant.

"We all split up to go down the trap-doors." said Nose Nip.

"Then we better help them now before these templars get the best of them." said Felix.

"Right." said Radiant.

"You two go on ahead." said Nose Nip. "Frosty and I will stay up here to make sure no more of those renegade guys come this way."

"Good idea." said Radiant. "But if things look bad, I want you two to get out of here as quickly as you can. Understand?"

"Sure, sure, no prob!" said Frosty, still marveling at the Gatling Gun.

"And Nose Nip, be sure not to let Frosty try bringing that thing out if those those bad things happen."
Radiant added before he and Felix left.

"I don't give a hoof what Radiant says." said Frosty. "Ain't nopony gonna make me not take this baby back with us!"

"Frosty!" said Nose Nip, urgently.

"C'mon, Nips!" complained Frosty. "Don't be a buzzkill!"

"No, look down there!" said Nose Nip, pointing down.

There were at least thirty templars armed with javelins looking up at them.

"Umm...uh, don't mind us!" Frosty nervously called to them. "We're here to...uh, tune-up this gun!"

The templars didn't seem convinced.

"Yeah, just doin' a bit o' polishin' here, little refittin' dere!" he said, stroking and adjusting the Gatling Gun's barrels.

"And a little target practice there!" Nose Nip suddenly said, grabbing hold of the gun, pointing it down again, and rotating the wheel to open fire on the templars, who all dropped their weapons and scattered. Frosty didn't even have time to take his hooves off the barrels, which became steaming hot as Nose Nip discharged his ammunition, and were scalded as a result.

"Hey, how 'bout a little warnin' next time ya do that, Nips?!" said Frosty, after blowing on his hooves. "You coulda left a mark!"

The templars all fled back up to the higher levels.

"Dat's right!" Frosty shouted after them, even as he lay on his back. "Ya better run, ya bozos!"

Sunset Shimmer continued ascending the subterranean levels of Fort Echidna, blasting aside any templars she met with her magic, being cautious not to kill any more of them. Eventually, she came to a locked door. She blasted it open, and saw Royal Commander Firewing waiting patiently inside for her.

"Let's finish this right here--" Sunset began.

"Right now!" Firewing soared towards her and tackled her to the ground.

He proceeded to pummel her with his hooves until she started to vomit. As she laid bruised on the ground, Firewing stood over her.

"A weakling like you could never understand how important it is to keep Equestria safe." said Firewing, growling furiously. "Neither do your precious princesses. That's why King Nelphyn will succeed in his own plans. The mercy he offers extend only to those who rightfully deserve it. But you, Sunset Shimmer? You're pathetic! A joke! You still don't understand the importance of leadership, responsibility, or justice. You even betrayed your fellow equines once, and for ridiculously infantile reasons at that! You have no idea what hardships I went through in my entire lifetime. You don't deserve any mercy."

Suddenly, a toxic dart struck Firewing on the neck, and he let out of roar of deep, seething rage before slowly collapsing sideways to the floor.

"Neither do you." said a familiar voice.

Sunset slowly got up, still groaning in pain, and turned to see the towering form of Juggsman in the doorway, holding a blowgun. He burst into green flames, revealing himself to be--

"Craw!" Sunset moaned in relief.

"That's right." said King Craw.

Craw went up to Sunset, and bent his legs. Sunset wrapped her hooves around Craw's long neck, and shed tears of relief.

"Thank you." she sighed. "Thank you so much, Craw. You saved my life!"

"Yes, but I only came here to dispose of him." Craw said. "Still, I suppose I did save you."

"Actually, I'd say he bought you some time." said a deep, guttural voice.

Sunset gasped, and she and Craw turned to face Royal Commander Firewing, who to their mutual surprise, was getting back up.

"But...I killed you!" exclaimed Craw. "That dart had cyanide in it!"

"It should've killed me." said Firewing. "But King Nelphyn was generous enough to give me a gift that can save one from death."

"What kind of gift?" asked Sunset.

Firewing opened up his breast plate, revealing that his body was paling and growing thinner and thinner, almost skeletal. His teeth became longer and very sharp, his wings suddenly became leathery and bat-like, and his eyes began to turn black with shimmery red dots in the middle.

"Call me...Bloodwing!" said the beast-pony, half-growling.

Enter Bloodwing

"What in Equestria?!" exclaimed Sunset Shimmer. "How's that possible?"

"King Nelphyn's powers are beyond your comprehension, naive little unicorn!" growled Bloodwing. "I am beyond anything you've ever faced before. You can't defeat me."

"Maybe she can't..." said King Craw, standing back up. "But I can."

"Craw, you don't have to do this!" said Sunset.

"I know I don't." said Craw. "That just makes me want to do it even more."

"A Changeling risking his life for a pony?" commented Bloodwing. "Rather unexpected, but all the while futile. I'll kill you both just the same."

King Craw's horn glowed red.

"Try me." he said, simply.

Glitch was flying around the labor area, knocking aside any templar he saw while babbling incomprehensibly on the way:

"Banter banbehbehbehbehbehbehbeh!" he babbled, as he K.O.-ed a gryphon templar from behind. "Boom-phphphphphph! Bekekah! Bekeeeeekah!"

"You think you can get me?!" Kengu shouted nearby to an earth pony templar armed with a spear. "Meet me somewhere!"

The templar nervously jabbed his spear into the air, only to be hoof-punched in the face by Kengu.

Silver Shadow and Commander Grubb stood back-to-back, surrounded by more templars.

"How many of them are there?!" grumbled the Changeling leader.

"I know!" said Silver Shadow. "They're just crawling out of the woodwork! They're just like...well, you guys!"

Grubb turned his head around as he was fighting, as if to retort Silver's comment, but instead...

"You know, I actually agree!" said Grubb. "Now I know how you ponies must feel!"

Bloodwing was pummeling King Craw into a wall repeatedly. He flashed his teeth viciously at the Changeling, and continued speaking:

"Bloodwing, let him go!" shouted Sunset. "There's no reason for you to keep fighting us! Your fortress has already been infiltrated, and your Neo-Templars are probably wiped out by now! Face it: No matter what you do to the two of us, you've lost!"

Bloodwing laughed coldly.

"You think that the templars are wiped out?" he said, ominously. "No, my little pony. Even if you two were to somehow defeat me and eliminate every last one of those murderous rogues that live here with me, we still won't be wiped out."

"What are you talking about?!" hissed Craw.

"Did you think I founded the Neo-Templars?" asked Bloodwing. "No! I joined them! They've existed since long before I was even born!"

Sunset gasped.

"There are hundreds of templars just like the ones you've faced here throughout Equestria." said Bloodwing. "And their numbers are growing and growing. Fort Echidna's just one place to look, and there are countless other places where the rest of the templars might be. You just don't know them yet! What you and those pathetic allies of yours have experienced in this fort is just a taste of what's to come! Mark my words: You can't win!"

"Well, I think we can do the whole world a favor by wiping your templars from the face of Equestria!" growled King Craw.

Craw fired a spell at Bloodwing's horrid face. The beast-pony reeled in anger, and then started wrestling with the false Changeling king, trying at every opportunity to bite at him.

"You know, you and I really aren't that different!" King Craw said to Bloodwing, even as they wrestled. "Please, I've done what you have right now, and I trust that the pain...just...isn't worth it!"

"I've been done that path, too!" said Sunset. "You can still clean up your act!"

But at this point, Bloodwing was beyond reason. His hatred and newly-found insanity that came with his transformation had reduced him to a mere beast of near-equine shape.

"Sunset, get out of here!" Craw shouted to Sunset. "Get back up to the surface!"

"I don't want to leave you, Craw!" Sunset argued, bitterly. "Not with him!"

"You won't!" countered Craw, amid his struggle. "I'll try and join you as soon as I can! But you'll just be in danger if you stay down here! Go! Please go now, my lady!"

Sunset nodded in acknowledgment, and left the room to find a stairway that led to the upper levels.

Teddy somehow found his way down to the prison area of the subterranean levels. He had to be careful not to draw any unwanted attention from any templars that might still be down there. He crept around every corner, trying to stay as quiet as possible. As he snuck around, he heard voices coming from a prison cell.

"Well guess what, Pupa?" said a voice. "Looks like this place is really going to the dogs! And since nopony's around right now, that means I'm gonna have a lot of fun with you!"

Teddy went up to the cell door, and saw an earth pony templar in battered royal guard armor trotting in circles around a very young female Changeling with a grayish complexion, big eyes, and long straight bluish-green hair. Her fanged mouth was closed and drooling, but the rest of her body was quivering in fear.

"Here's what we're gonna do!" said the templar, who was grinning wickedly. "I'm gonna take you out of here..."

Teddy was about to sigh in relief, but what the templar said afterwards ruined that notion:

"And then I'm gonna bring you someplace quiet in the countryside, where we'll live the rest of our days." said the templar. "You'll be my pet!"

This both disgusted and angered Teddy.

"How'd ya like that, Pupa?" said the templar. "Why not gimme a kiss, sweetie?"

Pupa slowly turned her head, but said nothing. Instead, she opened her mouth and bit the templar on his hoof. He cried out in pain, then shook the bitten hoof.

"Scratch that." said the templar. Looks like I better find a collar...and a whip!"

Then Teddy burst into the cell door, ran up, and struck the templar in his helmeted face. He toppled sideways, dazed, while Teddy tried to break the shackles holding Pupa to the ground. Pupa whimpered a little, but eased up when she saw the kind expression on Teddy's face.

"Don't worry, little girl." said Teddy. "I ain't here to hurt ya! I'm gonna getcha out of this crazy place!"

Pupa nodded mechanically, but still said nothing. Instead, she continued to drool.

"You don't talk much, do ya?" commented Teddy.

"Get your hooves off of my pet!" growled the templar, getting back up.

"You're sick, you know that?!" shouted Teddy, disgusted. "For crying out loud, she's just a child! And nopony should mistreat children, even if they are Changelings!"

"I don't care." chuckled the templar. "And if you haven't noticed, she's dumber than dirt, so she wouldn't know mistreatment if it bludgeoned her over the head, which is exactly what I'm gonna do to you!"

"Like heck you will!" said Teddy, getting Pupa on his back. "C'mon, let's get outta here!"

And then he ran out the cell, with the crazed templar in pursuit.

Scarlet Blaze and Golden Sun were on a separate level, fending off some of the more battle-hardened templars. They were all charging at them, screaming like maniacs. Golden Sun used concussive blasts to knock them aside, while Scarlet went all-out and used every method of attack she could offer to incapacitate her own attacks. Eventually, the tall unicorn lieutenant came into the fray, wearing full armor. He charged straight for Golden Sun, his horn glowing, when Scarlet suddenly tackled him and they tussled on the floor for a moment, while the other templars watched.

"Don't you dare hurt my--" Scarlet shouted.

The templar lieutenant looked up at Scarlet.

"Daughter?" he said, with a voice that was familiar to Scarlet. "Is that you?"

He took off his helmet, revealing his copper eyes, reddish-brown coat, and graying crimson mane.

"Fa...father?" gasped Scarlet. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, Scarlet." said Crimson Blade. "It's me."

The other templars started to jeer.

"I can't believe it!" shouted a templar.

"C'mon, keep fighting already!"

"Templars, stand down!" said Crimson Blade, getting back up.

"No can do, traitor!" said another templar. "Let's get 'em!"

But the three unicorns' horns started glowing, and an entire wall of offensive spells repelled the templars, forcing them all to retreat down the corridor.

"Father, I thought you were dead!" said Scarlet.

"And I thought the same of you." said Crimson. "I thought you and your husband both died fifteen years ago. I was absolutely distraught!"

Crimson stripped himself of the armor he was wearing, to show he renounced his position as a templar.

"I was such a fool!" he said. "But there's no time to explain now. Why are you here, Scarlet?"

"Me and my husband are here to save our children."

"Long time, no see, Professor Sun." said Crimson, turning to his son-in-law.

"Where do you keep the prisoners?" asked Golden Sun.

"Follow me!" said Crimson Blade.

King Craw and Bloodwing flew up air shafts to the higher levels, battling each other as they did so. They both came out into the ruins of the original Fort Echidna, and were wrestling each other on a ledge overlooking the river below. Bloodwing was getting the upper-hand, though, and had Craw pinned down. He was poised to bite down on his neck, when suddenly, there a javeling was thrown through the air, and struck Bloodwing in the ribs. The beast-pony turned, and saw Sunset Shimmer standing there. He growled viciously at her, and started to creep up to her, his sharp teeth slavering.

But this gave Craw time to get back up, and yank Bloodwing by the javelin stuck in his side. Then he bashed his skull into Bloodwing's face twice, forcefully ripped the prosthetic hoof straight off of Bloodwing's leg, causing him to screech in pain. King Craw took the opportunity to grab a stick of dynamite off of Bloodwing's belt, emitted red sparks from his horn to light the fuse, and then jammed the whole thing down the beast-pony's throat.

"Put that in your pipe and smoke it!" Craw said, coldly to the gagging creature.

Then he shoved Bloodwing over the edge of the balcony they were on, causing the beast-pony to plummet deep into the river, where he appeared to explode even as he was submerged, creating a lot of steam and bubbles on the surface. King Craw sighed in relief, and collapsed to the ground from exhaustion. Sunset Shimmer quickly went up to him, wide-eyed and concerned.

"Craw, are you all right?" she asked, alarmed.

"Of course, my lady." said Craw, panting as he laid on the ground. "It's been a while since I had to fight an enemy that strong."

"That was very brave and valiant what you did for me." said Sunset.

"Ah...I just wanted him out of my lair as soon as possible." said Craw. "But there's still all those other templars that are running around that place."

"They can wait." said Sunset, softly. "Right now, I want to show you my gratitude."

She tenderly placed a hoof on King Craw's chitin-covered chest, and gazed into his red eyes. She bent her head down to kiss King Craw on the mouth. There was a pause, and Sunset stepped back, her face visibly sweating and her lips dry. She was visibly trembling. Craw bent his own head up, and opened his own mouth to extend his tongue. He gently stroked it up and down, then left and right across Sunset's face to clean the beads of sweat, even as they crept down her forehead from her damp, disheveled mane.

"Sweeter than sugar..." Craw muttered under his breath.

Sunset blushed.

"Don't be afraid." Craw told her. "I can tell just by looking into your eyes that you want this kind of company right now. Your hormones desire fulfillment; and your blood is boiling like hot water."

Sunset paused. Craw spoke again:

"If you'd like, I could change into somepony more appropriate for your species."

"No." said Sunset, shaking her head. "It's okay."

Craw frowned.

"I mean, you don't have to turn into anyone else." said Sunset, whose voice was getting slightly huskier. "I...like you just as you are."

"But just how much, exactly?"

"Well..."

In a moment, the two were tongue-kissing and embracing each other.

Escaping Fort Echidna

King Craw and Sunset Shimmer were laying on the balcony in the ruins of Fort Echidna, cradled in each other's hooves as they tried to relax their bodies from the action they just went through.

"I've lived for...several decades." said Craw. "Hundreds of missions for the royal family. But this one you, Sunset Shimmer, beat them all. Well...most of them."

He laughed dryly. Then he started to sniff Sunset's mane. He shuddered with glee, and then sighed.

"Are you feeling okay?" Sunset asked.

"Never better." said Craw, shaking his long, shaggy mane. "But I'm restless to know..."

"Sorry, Craw." Sunset frowned. "I have a pretty good feeling what you want to say. But no."

"Sunset Shimmer...please." whispered Craw, who was wide-eyed and breathless. "I want you so much."

"I know, Craw." said Sunset. "But I'm sorry. Ponies don't just get married straight away. Especially not when it comes to Changelings."

"So...you're saying you wouldn't want to marry a Changeling?" questioned Craw, still keeping a soft tone in his voice.

"That's not what I'm saying at all, Craw." said Sunset. "I don't know how Changeling mating rituals work, but I don't think I could go through one of those. I'm still young, and I just don't think I could spend the rest of my days with you...at your side. Not yet, anyway."

King Craw opened his eyes slightly wider.

"You're right, Sunset." he said. "You...are right. Is it any wonder why I like you so much, my dear? You're not only beautiful, but one of the wisest creatures I've ever met. Remarkable, considering you're only twenty years old. It would be no dishonor to have you as my wife."

"And I'm sure you'd make a great husband, Craw." said Sunset, coolly. "But I just don't think it would work right now. Even though there's a truce between Equestria and the Changeling Empire, there's still all sorts of tension between our two species. Not to mention..."

Sunset frowned.

"I feel guilty about having this conversation with you." continued Sunset. "Not just because of the other ponies...but also considering my...relationship with your human counterpart."

"I'm sure he would understand that you weren't supposed to be in his world to begin with." said Craw. "Considering what you went through with him, and the fact that you two are still able to call each other lovers should say a lot about the possibilities of what your relationship with me could be like...someday."

"Yeah...someday." said Sunset. "When I'm older, and when all this crazy stuff's been dealt with. Then maybe I'd be ready to answer your proposal."

"Well said, my lady." said Craw, grinning.

He slowly got back up, and knelt over Sunset, who started to get up on her own.

"Don't worry though, Craw." said Sunset. "It doesn't mean I don't want you to stay away from me. When this whole problem we're having right now's been taken care of, would you like to be my..."

They both paused for what seemed like a minute.

"Boyfriend?" Sunset finally completed her sentence.

King Craw chuckled heartily, then bent his head down to stroke his tongue across Sunset's cheek, then he went down a half-broken stairway off the balcony.

"Time for pleasant conversation is over, my little pony." he said, in his usual snide tone. "Now it's time to help those friends of yours before the templars get the best of them."

"Oh...yeah!" Sunset said, blushing; she couldn't believe that she could just forget about them so easily. "Right! Craw, let's go down now!"

King Craw shapeshifted into the Cajun pegasus, and hurried with Sunset to the nearest trap-door. Suddenly, there were massive hoof-falls, and a large figure approached them.

"Well, look who we have here!" said the real Juggsman, approaching them with a heavily bruised face.

Sunset and the disguised Craw turned to look at him.

"Y'all think that leaving me bruised and tied up in that cave would keep me outta action?!" he said. "Heh, heh, heh! I'm gonna have a lotta fun with--"

Suddenly, there was a flash of red light just beside Juggsman, and a familiar albino Changeling materialized next to him.

"With what?" asked Ghost.

"Yes, big boy." said another familiar voice from above. "What?"

Sunset, Craw, and Juggsman all looked up, and to their surprise, Queen Chrysalis, Lord Umbriel, Princess Luna, Captain Star Shield, and an entire army of pegasi and Changelings were all hovering in the air above the ruins. The sight made Juggsman shuffled uneasily in place.

"Uhh...nothin'!" he said, nervously.

He sat on the ground, and surrendered as the newcomers all landed on the ground.

"Sunset Shimmer, I believe you ought to explain yourself." said Luna, approaching her student.

"I'm sorry, Luna." said Sunset. "But I just had a feeling that my brother would need help with those renegades, so..."

"I understand." assured Luna.

"But what are you all doing here?" asked Sunset.

"My night guards discovered that the Summerstar had gone missing, and that you and your friends were nowhere to be seen." explained Star Shield. "The Shadowbolts tracked it to a few kilometers from here, and Princess Luna decided to step in personally."

"And I had Ghost spy on my sister's elite task force that was sent to Baltimare, in case they actually found anything." added Lord Umbriel. "And I suggested to my sister that she come along, too."

"Well, that's--" Sunset began, before pausing. "Wait a minute, I didn't take the Summerstar here, and nopony else went with me except for--"

She paused again.

"Oh, boy!" she said, worried. "They must all be down there with those templars!"

Down in the subterranean levels of Fort Echidna, the Royal Guard and Changeling Elite had the Neo-Templars in a rout. Several of them were incapacitated or forced into submission, but many of them were very persistent. Trixie, Sunflower, Pressure Point, and Maud Pie found themselves surrounded by a larger, more aggressive squad. Trixie looked impatient, Sunflower looked like she would be ready for anything, Pressure Point looked annoyed that was already in the middle of a fight, while Maud seemed relatively indifferent.

"You fools think you can contend with the Great and Powerful Trixie?!" Trixie shouted to the templars.

"Sure!" said a templar. "Why not?"

Trixie shot purple lightning at the templars, and most of them were electrocuted and incapacitated. But this just caused more templars to emerge from the other rooms and hallways. Now the number of templars surrounding the four was even larger than it was before.

"Bad move, sorceress!" said another templar.

They all brandished javelins and spears and were poised to strike. Suddenly, there was a bright red light from behind, and a tongue of superheated energy lashed out at the templars, setting many of them ablaze and running around the room. Then two tall equine shapes emerged, and engaged in a melee battle with the remainder. It was Radiant Dawn and Felix Summerset.

"Well, I never thought I'd be so glad to see you, Radiant." said Pressure Point.

"Look, you all need to get yourselves out of here!" said Radiant.

"Yes!" agreed Felix. "In case you haven't noticed, this place is extremely dangerous!"

"No way, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall not give up on her friends!" said Trixie.

"Fine." said Radiant, reluctantly. "It's your funeral."

Teddy ran up every stairway he could find, lugging Pupa on his back as he did so. Pupa was whimpering in fear, but did nothing but slobber all over Teddy's mane.

"Hey, Pupa, ever heard of mouthwash?!" Teddy questioned, when he tried shaking the saliva off of his head.

He kept going up two more levels of the dungeon area, then stopped to rest when he couldn't hear anything else. This made him feel comfortable, yet also seemed very eerie at the same time.

"Okay, time for a pit-stop." Teddy told Pupa as he bent down to let her off.

Pupa blinked her eyes, then smiled at Teddy.

"You feel okay, little girl?" asked Teddy.

Pupa shut her eyes and nodded.

"You know, you're actually very cute...for a Changeling, I mean." said Teddy. "Do you have a nice family?"

Suddenly, there were hoof-falls, and a wicked laugh. Pupa turned and opened her eyes, squealed in terror, and ducked between Teddy's legs. Teddy nervously turned around, and felt his jaw drop: It was the templar from before. Only this time, he was not only holding a torch in one of his hooves, but there was a "TNT" barrel with a long fuse strapped to his back.

"Fine, if I can't have Pupa..." he said, giggling maniacally. "Then nopony can!"

"Please!" pleaded Teddy. "Don't do it, man! It's not worth it!"

"Which is why I have nothing to lose!" guffawed the templar, raising the torch.

He lit the fuse, which startle to emit sparks. Teddy quickly picked Pupa back up, and ran on as fast as he could to escape the dungeon levels, the mad bomber in hot pursuit.

In another level of the same area, Lightning Dust, Canopy, and Sigma were blasting open prison cells to free all the ponies, Changelings, and other creatures being held captive. They already sprang Crimson Cloud, Night Runner, and several other royal guards out, as well as a few Changelings, when suddenly there was a loud boom!, and the walls and ceiling of the dungeons started to shake and crack.

"Someone must've detonated one of those powder kegs!" deduced Canopy. "We better get going fast!"

"No' wi'out our own prisoners!" said Sigma. "Firs', let's get ta Princ'ss Pupa's cell!"

Golden Sun, Scarlet Blaze, and Crimson Blade were nearing the dungeons, where they suddenly felt a heavy rumbling.

"Earthquake!" shouted Scarlet.

"No, dynamite!" said Crimson. "That prison area will collapse any minute! We need to hurry if we are to save to the others. I think we should start by saving the royal Changelings. Their crown princess is being help prisoner in one of those cells. She's semi-mute and is physically and mentally handicapped. She might be the first to go if there's a cave-in!"

The three went to the cell in question, to find it empty.

"But...she was supposed to be in here!" said Crimson, surprised.

"Maybe someone else already freed her?" suggested Golden Sun.

"Let's hope so!" said Scarlet.

Sigma, Canopy, and Lightning Dust arrived at that moment.

"Where's Princess Pupa?!" demanded Canopy, frantically.

"She's already been freed by someone else!" said Crimson Blade, pointing across the corridor. "But the other members of your royal family are being held in that cell."

Sigma and Canopy blasted open another cell across from the one where Pupa was previously held, revealing its occupants: Princess Dana and Prince Naurius of the Changeling Empire. Dana was an adolescent by Changeling standards, while Naurius was very young, possibly around Princess Pupa's age.

"Well, it's about time you buffoons got to saving me...and I guess, my brother." said Princess Dana, rolling her eyes.

"Well, we were a little tied up ourselves." said Canopy.

"Wait till we get out of here, and I tell father how incompetent you idiots are." said Princess Dana.

"Father?" repeated Lightning Dust.

"They are the son and daughter of Lord Umbriel." Canopy whispered to Lightning.

"Wait, Umbriel has kids?!" exclaimed Lightning. "Weird."

"Egad!" said Dana, finally noticing the other ponies. "What are these ponyfolk doing with you two?!"

"Long story, okay?" said Lightning. "Princess what's-your-name, go pick up your brother and follow us! We don't have much more time to chatter!"

"Me? Carry my brat of a brother?" said Dana. "I think not! That is something the help does!"

"You're gonna need lots of help if we don't leave now!" said Lightning.

"Look, I can fly myself..." said Prince Naurius.

"Shut up, brother." said Princess Dana. "Now stay still and let either Sigma or Canopy take you themselves!"

"But why?--"

"I'm your elder sister and I have a say in what you do when father isn't around!" snapped Dana. "And I say you have someone fly you out for you!"

"Okay, sister." said Naurius. "Sorry."

Sigma quickly picked up Prince Naurius, and the assorted ponies and Changelings all flew or galloped quickly out of the dungeons as they started to give way and cave-in.

Outside Fort Echidna

It wasn't long before the Pony-Changeling joint assault team emerged from the entrances to Fort Echidna with the remaining templars in tow, as prisoners. They brought them to their respective leaders.

"Well done, commander." Queen Chrysalis told Commander Grubb. "You and the Changeling Elite have proven yourselves...assuming the members of my royal family weren't killed by the templars, that is."

Grubb shifted uneasily.

"Are you telling me they didn't make it?!" said Chrysalis, alarmed.

"Not necessarily, your majesty!" said Grubb. "It's just that...well, in the heat of our conflict, we forgot to search all the cells."

"Well, you don't have to look far now." said a voice.

Chrysalis and Umbriel turned to another of the trap-doors, to find Princess Dana, Princes Naurius, Sigma, Canopy, Scarlet Blaze, Golden Sun, Crimson Blade, and Lightning Dust climbing out of it. Dana went over to Umbriel.

"Hello, father." said Princess Dana bored and, uninterested.

"Hello, daughter." said Lord Umbriel, approaching Dana.

"If you came to save me, father, that was unnecessary and overall pointless." said Dana. "I would've gotten out on my own dags ago if my imbecile of a brother wasn't such a useless little brat."

"I'm neither an imbecile nor a brat, sister!" said Naurius. "You just treat me like--"

"Shut up, Naurius." snapped Dana.

"Sorry, sister." Naurius bowed his head in submission.

"I see you haven't changed too much during your time in incarceration, neice." said Chrysalis, approaching Dana.

"And why wouldn't I, Aunt Chrysalis?" said Princess Dana. "I've followed your example all my life. You wouldn't break in a situation like that, so why should I? What kind of heir would I be if I just gave up and accepted my fate?"

"Heir?" repeated Chrysalis. "Dana, you have quite a ways to go before you become my successor, assuming that ever happens."--she turned to Umbriel.--"Brother, how many times have I had this conversation with your daughter?"

"Fifteen, sister." said Umbriel. "One for each of her birthdays since her sixth."

"Dana, I'm going to tell you this one more time." said Queen Chrysalis. "First, the crown princess--my daughter, Princess Pupa--will succeed me, then whoever her future husband happens to be, then your father--assuming Pupa never has any offspring of her own before her passing--and finally you."

Princess Dana scowled. She disliked being reminded of the Changeling Royal Family's chain of succession. She believed that the oldest surviving member of the family should always be the ruler of the empire, and not the offspring of the offspring of the...it just felt ridiculous to her. She even thought it was ridiculous that she had a great-uncle who was middle-aged and all-but retired from his own royal duties, yet was still called a "prince" and only fulfilled the role of a military officer all his life.

Not to mention that she found it somewhat insulting that a fully-grown, fertile, and high-functioning lady like herself would be forced to wait for a physically and mentally inept cousin that wasn't even a third of her own age to kick the bucket. But instead, she was little more than a glorified courtesan. And the fact that said cousin was the same gender as her didn't make it any better.

"Do you understand, Dana?" asked Chrysalis, wearily.

"I do, aunt." Dana nodded, reluctantly.

Out of sheer curiosity, Princess Luna approached Prince Naurius, who was quivering at the sight of her but did not attempt to flee.

"And who might you be, little one?" Princess Luna pondered, softly.

"N-Na...Naurius." the young Changeling stuttered. "Prince Naurius Roachanov of the Changeling Empire."

"So may I assume you are Queen Chrysalis' child?" asked Luna.

"No, I'm the son of Prince Embryo--I mean, Lord Umbriel." said Naurius, fidgeting. "Oh, I always get father's names mixed up. Please don't tell him about this, will ya?"

"Strange, I was not aware that Umbriel had children of his own." Luna said, suspiciously.

Naurius looked up at Luna's puzzled face, awestruck as he noticed her horn.

"You're Princess Luna, aren't you..." Prince Naurius gasped. "Ha!"

He clopped his bony front hooves together.

"Father told me so much about you." said Naurius. "Well, I mean...he never told me directly, but I heard him talk about you."

"Really?" Luna asked, flatly. "And what did he say?"

"He said that you were..."

Naurius' eyes--which grew wide as saucers--started to shake, and his lower lip started to tremble.

"What is the matter, little one?" asked Luna.

"Naurius, what have I told you about talking to strange ponies?!" Princess Dana shouted at him from nearby. "Get over here before I make fly-pie out of you!"

"Sorry, sister!" Naurius turned to reply.

He started beating his wings to hover in the air.

"I'm so terribly sorry, princess." said Naurius, shaking his head bitterly. "But my family needs me. You understand...right?"

"Of course, Naurius." said Luna, nodding kindly.

Then Naurius fluttered away, just in time for yet another scolding from his elder sister.

Radiant Dawn and Felix Summerset led Trixie, Maud Pie, Sunflower, and Pressure Point out another trap-door. Radiant almost tumbled back down when he saw all the royal guards and Changelings that were waiting on the surface.

"Whoo-ee!" he exclaimed, when he caught the rungs on the ladder.

"Ow!" shouted Pressure Point below, when one of Radiant's back hooves nicked him on the scalp. "What's taking you so long? I want to get out of this place as much as you!"

"Sorry, Presh." said Radiant, who was clambering onto the trap-door. "Are you hurt?"

"Just back away, you idiot!" Pressure shouted up to him.

Radiant frowned, then stepped away from the trap-door so that Pressure Point could get out. When he did, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if he hadn't had fresh air in eons. Once Felix brought the others back up, he decided to walk up to Radiant.

"Hey...Fee-fee..." Radiant panted, out-of-breath. "Ya...said Sunset was here too, right?"

"Positive." said Felix. "It's just a matter of whether or not she came back up--"

"Red! Big bro!" shouted a voice.

Sunset Shimmer was galloping towards her older brother, teleported onto his back, and wrapped her front hooves around his neck.

"Sunny..." Radiant said, hoarsely. "I can't believe it...you came all this way, just for me!"

"I'm sorry, Red." said Sunset, worried. "I just couldn't help myself. I didn't want anything bad to happen to you, so we came to help you."

"Bonjour, Radiant Dawn." said the Cajun pegasus, who was actually King Craw in disguise. "It's quite nice to meet you."

"Sunny, who's this?" asked Radiant.

"Um..." Sunset stammered.

She knew that this was the absolute worst place to reveal Craw's identity, so she had to think fast. She quickly leaned to his side and clung onto him.

"He's my new boyfriend." said Sunset, rubbing her head against Craw's neck. "His name's...K.C.."

"Wow, that's great!" said Radiant, still tired. "So...where'dya live, Casey?"

"Sorry, but I just don't have time to talk right now." said Casey. "I must leave now. Au revoir, Sunset."

He kissed Sunset on her front-left hoof, and flew away. Sunset stood there for a moment, blushing and then smiling absent-mindedly.

"Sunset Aurora Shimmer Daystar!" shouted the voice of Golden Sun.

Sunset turned to see Golden Sun running up to her, and then gripping her neck.

"Daughter, what were you thinking?" he said, shaking his daughter frantically. "I was so scared about what might have happened to you out here."

"Dad, how do you think I felt about Radiant?!" Sunset shouted as she fought to escape her father's grip (which wasn't really that strong to begin with).

"I know, Sunset." said Golden Sun. "And I commend you for caring about your brother, but you should've at least told me or your mother what you were planning to do! We would've even gone to help you!"

"Actually, me and Felix went to your apartment, but apparently you and mom were too busy doing...you-know-what."

"Who-know-what?" Golden Sun asked.

Sunset whispered something into her father's ear. Though Radiant couldn't hear what Sunset was saying, he could easily guess what it was by the way Golden Sun blushed, and then chuckled nervously once Sunset stopped whispering.

"Umm...no, Sunset." he laughed awkwardly. "I wasn't doing that with your mother!"

"Then...what were you doing?" asked Sunset.

"Exercises." said Golden Sun, simply.

"Exercises?" Sunset and Radiant repeated simultaneously.

"That's right, kids." said Scarlet Blaze, approaching her husband and children. "I was making your father do warm-up exercises to help get some of that baby fat out of his system."

She stuck one of her hooves against Golden Sun's slightly chubby underside.

"I'll admit, I'm not exactly a physical type of pony." said Golden Sun, nodding in agreement.

"But what were you all doing here, anyway?" asked Sunset.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Scarlet. "We came to help you and your brother!"

"Well, well..." said Crimson Blade, approaching the other four unicorns. "So you two are Sunset Shimmer and Radiant Dawn."

"Yep." said Sunset, looking at the middle-aged, tall unicorn. "Who are you?"

"Sunset, Radiant." said Scarlet. "This is my father--your grandfather--Crimson Blade."

Before Sunset or Radiant could react, Nose Nip and Frosty came busting down a nearby wall, with Frosty covered in some kind of tribal warpaint and yelling excitedly, and Nose Nip lugging the Gatling Gun on his back, it's barrels red-hot and still spinning.

"Rock n' roll, baby! Yeah!" Frosty shouted excitedly.

Radiant ran over to them, completely dismayed.

"What--how--what?!" he said, lost for words. "Where--why?!?!"

"Calm down, Radiant." said Nose Nip. "Frosty and I just took a shortcut, and we needed to use this--Frosty wouldn't leave without the gun, okay?"

"Yer darn right I wouldn't leave without dat gun!" said Frosty. "Dat thing's practically my baby!"

Crimson Blade went up to them.

"Don't you realize how dangerous that weapon is?" he demanded.

"Sure I do, old-timer!" said Frosty. "That's why I think it should go up on our blimp!"

"Nips, where's Teddy?" Radiant said to Nose Nip, looking around.

Nose Nip and Frosty looked around, Nose Nip looking slightly concerned and Frosty totally annoyed.

"So Teddy makes us run all the way out here, then he ditches us!" said Frosty. "If I see the--"

Lightning Dust quickly flew down one of the trapdoors, and resurfaced three minutes later.

"Hey, I've been looking all over those tunnels, and I haven't seen Teddy anywhere!" she said.

"Neither did I." said Felix, who came back up with her. "But it looks like one of those tunnels by the dungeon levels recently caved-in."

"Yeah!" agreed Lightning, nodding her head. "There's gotta be ten square feet and seven-hundred pounds of rubble in that tunnel. Nopony could survive that much debris falling on them."

Sunset and the others heard this, and went to the trapdoor. They all looked absolutely shocked, even saddened. Even Trixie knelt by the trapdoor, her eyes watering.

"Oh, T-Teddy!" she said, shakily. "Noooo...don't be dead! Please!"

Sunflower went beside Trixie, and placed on a comforting hoof around her neck.

Suddenly, a nearby door was knocked off its hinges, letting black smoke out into the late morning sky. A dark equine shape with a large hump on its back slowly trotted out of the dark smog, making a raspy noise as it did so. Everyone present braced themselves for another templar attack, when the noises grew louder. They were of a pony coughing and wheezing. When the shape raised his head, revealing his ash-covered, bruised face.

"Teddy!" shouted Trixie, galloping towards him.

Teddy didn't even flinch as he watch Trixie running at him. He was too fatigued to feel nervous or afraid. When Trixie was just a couple feet away, she stopped and opened her mouth:

"Teddy, you stupid jerk!" she shouted, angrily. "You almost scared me--I mean, you--"

"Trixie, I'm not in the mood right now." said Teddy, whose throat was totally dry.

Trixie and the others realized that the hump on Teddy's back was actually some kind of black bundle. He went up to the Changelings, despite several protests from the others, and approached Queen Chrysalis.

"I take it this..." he said to the Queen of the Changelings, softly. "Belongs to you?"

He shook the bundle off his back, revealing Princess Pupa, laying prone on his back with a rapidly drooling mouth.

"Pupa!" Chrysalis gasped. "Daughter, you're safe!"

She sped over to Pupa, picked her up in her front hooves, and hugged her dearly.

"You're safe...I can't believe it!" said Chrysalis, turning to Teddy. "Congratulations, my little pony. You just saved my daughter and prime heir."

"Yeah...I saw the resemblance." said Teddy. "Cute kid, if you get past that drooling problem of hers."

Chrysalis handed Pupa to Lord Umbriel, while she sped up to Teddy intensely. She glared down at him with her big green eyes.

"Lady...I don't care what you do to me, okay?" said Teddy. "I've got all the time in the world to recover from whatever--"

Suddenly, Chrysalis started to giggle, then she bent her head down and licked Teddy on the cheek.

"What's your name?" Chrysalis asked.

"Teddy." the stallion replied, nervously.

"Congratulations, Teddy." said Chrysalis. "You've earned my respect. You're only the second pony to do so. You should feel lucky."

Teddy blushed as Chrysalis turned back and returned to her subjects. Umbriel handed his niece back to Chrysalis, and then went up to Teddy, smiling as sinisterly as usual.

"And I think you might've earned a little something else from my sister." he said, adding to what Chrysalis said.

He moved his head to Teddy's ear and whispered:

"But I won't tell you what."

He turned and went over to Princess Luna, who was standing nearby with Sunset Shimmer.

"Well, this was a fun experience." he said to her.

"Fun?" said Princess Luna. "Several of my guards, as well as our Royal Commander, were brutally killed or injured, and you call this fun?"

"Oh just relax, sweetheart." said Umbriel, coolly. "Me and my sister lost many more soldiers than you did because of those pesky Neo-Templars, but you don't see us complaining about it!"

"That is not the point, Umbriel!" said Luna. "We still suffered a significant amount of casualties. How can you be so calm about this?"

"I have my reasons, Luna." said Umbriel.

Luna approached so that their faces were inches away from each other.

"If you had any part in this..." she said, warningly.

"I don't like this scenario any more than you do, Luna." said Umbriel. "Who said I had to show how upset I was? You and Celestia aren't the only ones to be separated from your sister."

Luna looked towards Chrysalis, but Umbriel grabbed her head to turn her to face him again.

"No. Not her." said Umbriel. "My other sister."

"What other sister?" asked Luna.

"Exactly." Umbriel said, bending his mouth into a frown.

He slowly turned back, and approached his daughter, who seemed very uninteresting in seeing him, and stroked two of his dragonfly wings along her back.

"Alright, let's leave." said Umbriel to his children.

"Now?" asked Dana.

"Yes...now." said Umbriel.

"I'm not going with you, father." said Dana, spitefully. "I'm still not speaking to you."

"Princess Danauria Roachanov the Second!" Umbriel snapped, angrily. "We...are...leaving!"

She didn't need telling twice, and Princess Dana flew off into the sky, not even waiting for her escort to prepare itself. Prince Naurius flew up after her, smirking at his sister as he did so. Umbriel's soldiers flew up with them, followed by Queen Chrysalis with her daughter, and then the Changeling Elite. Umbriel took one last look at Princess Luna, smiled, then took off into the air himself.

As soon as the Changelings were all gone, Sunset Shimmer said to Princess Luna:

"So...you and Celestia are going to need a new Royal Commander."

The New Royal Commander

It was the middle of the afternoon when Princess Celestia and an elite squad of royal guards arrived at the ruins of Fort Echidna. Even Flash Sentry was there. Sunset Shimmer, Felix Summerset, Radiant Dawn, and Lightning Dust were all there (although neither Scarlet Blaze, nor Golden Sun, nor Crimson Blade, nor any of Sunset's other friends were interested in sticking around for some reason).

Princess Celestia looked around the ruins, since she hadn't set hoof in that stronghold for hundreds of years. She couldn't help but feel a dose of nostalgia as she did so. After she stopped sight-seeing, Princess Luna summarized everything that Sunset and Radiant told her to Celestia. Celestia looked positively weary when she found out that the Neo-Templars were the ones responsible.

"Sister, you know who they are?" asked Luna.

"Unfortunately, I do." said Celestia.

"Who are they, princess?" asked Sunset. "I mean, what are they supposed to be, anyway?"

"Well..." sighed Celestia. "Let's just say that you and my sister weren't the only ones to ever have a problem with how I ruled Equestria. In fact, ever since I used the Elements of Harmony to defeat NightMare Moon..." her eyes darted towards Luna and back to Sunset. "Several of my subjects started to express doubt that I was fit to be their ruler. So as time passed, there was talk about ponyfolk seceding from my rule by the masses. But it almost never came to blows, and all the cities and towns in Equestria are still loyal to Canterlot."

"But if these templars didn't want you as their leader, why didn't they try leaving or...you know, revolting?" Sunset asked hesitantly.

"Because the truth is that the templars love Equestria as much as I do." said Celestia. "And I respected them for it, and allowed their organization to remain active for the thousand or so years they existed."

"The templars were around for a whole milennium?" gasped Sunset.

"Yes, but until recently, they never did anything that meant harm to Equestria's citizens. Not directly, anyway. They simply viewed themselves as an alternate government, for anypony that had no interest in being an alicorn's subject, yet still loved Equestria all the same. I tolerated this, since I admit that I haven't exactly made the best decisions, even after all these years."

"What do you mean 'not directly'?" asked Sunset.

"I mean that I've heard rumors that the Neo-Templars wouldn't object if I and the other alicorns were to suddenly be...removed. And I've heard conspiracy theories left and right that they were involved in other incidents that troubled our land in the past."

"Like?"

"Like that they were responsible for poisoning the Tree of Harmony, allowing the Plunderseeds to continue growing and imprison me and Luna. Or that they lured Cerberus away from Tartarus."

"And why wouldn't you think that?" asked Sunset.

"Because the templars may have no love for royalty, but they would've known that triggering either event would've done them as much harm as it would us; the Plunderseeds cannot be controlled by any pony in Equestria, and there are evils in Tartarus that would spell doom for all of ponykind if they ever saw freedom."

"I still wouldn't put it past them, if I were you." said Sunset.

"Still, the Neo-Templars did have their own good points." said Celestia. "For example, they actually lobbied to protect the Crystal Empire when it re-appeared a year ago."

"And you turned them down, right?" asked Sunset.

"Not because I didn't trust them, but because the threat they would have faced against King Sombra would've been too great for them to bear. And they didn't respond too kindly to me sending Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor to protect it, instead. But they didn't approach me with this proposal until well after Cadence already left. I even offered to let them protect the Crystal Empire alongside her and Shining Armor, but it just made them even angrier."

"But why?" asked Luna.

"Because they thought deliberately collaborating with, or even relying on, an alicorn would defeat the whole purpose of their society." said Celestia. "I actually think they would've been able to help the Crystal Empire return to its former glory, with or without alicorn support. But if the situation in question wasn't so dire, I would have gladly agreed to their terms and let them run the Crystal Empire instead of Cadence."

"Sounds like I should've thought about joining them instead of running to the human world." Sunset muttered aloud, before quickly adding after she saw Luna and Celestia staring at her suspiciously. "I mean, when I first ran out on you, Princess Celestia. I don't mean that I'd do it right now."

"Actually, I would've suggested that you join the templars." said Celestia. "But since you wanted to be an alicorn princess so desperately, I was afraid that they would have treated you like a potential enemy than a new recruit."

"Me? Join those maniacs?!" Sunset said, disgusted. "You should see what they're like! They're psychotic monsters! I would never want to have anything to do with them!"

"I'm sure the templars you encountered here were absolutely despicable, but the Templars--at least when they started out--have had their own sense of honor that's stuck with them for hundreds of years. Rather impressive for an Equestria-based society completely independent from the rule of a princess. I guess something must have happened that caused their sense of reason and honor to decline."

"And I'll bet it was King Nelphyn that's responsible." said Sunset. "I mean, Firewing told me it was him."

"And I can confirm that Nelphyn was involved." said Luna.

"It's really a shame that Firewing had to be killed." said Celestia. "I really felt bad for the hardships he went through during his decades of service to me. But I'm afraid that not even alicorn magic could've healed all the wounds he suffered over time. Not just the physical wounds, but the emotional and mental ones, too."

"So...who's going to be the Royal Commander now that the old one betrayed you and is...you know, kaput." asked Sunset, curiously.

Celestia turned to Captain Star Shield, who approached them, with Flash Sentry and Radiant Dawn following closely behind.

"If I may, princess." said Star Shield. "I would gladly accept the position of Royal Commander."

"Are you sure, Captain Shield?" asked Princess Luna. "Becoming a Royal Commander is a tremendous responsibility."

"And considering your age, sir..." Radiant chimed in.

"I know this is something I must do." said Star Shield, turning to Radiant and Flash, and then back to the princesses. "I have served Equestria as long as Firewing did, and have served as the captain to both sets of guards. I know what kind of responsibilities would await me. Besides..." he turned to Radiant. "I think a certain somepony in the Night Guard has proven that they can be a proper captain."

"You really mean it, captain?" Radiant asked, wide-eyed.

"Of course I do, Captain Dawn." said Star Shield, nodding slowly.

"Then so be it, Star Shield." said Princess Celestia. "If Luna approves, then you shall become the new commander of the Canterlot Royal Guard."

"I do approve of this, sister." Luna told Celestia, before turning to the Night Captain. "Congratulations on your promotion, Royal Commander Star Shield. And to you, Captain Radiant Dawn."

Flash Sentry started to shed tears of happiness.

"I'm...I'm so happy for you, dad!" he said, shakily.

He broke all self-restraint and sense of formality, sped to Star Shield, and hugged his father as hard as he could. Star Shield slowly hugged his son back. As soon as they let go, Felix Summerset rushed over to the princesses, accidentally knocking Flash Sentry over as he went.

"I'm so sorry!" said Felix, turning to Flash.

"I'm...used to it." Flash said, as he staggered back up.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna!" he said, quickly turning to face the princesses again. "Now that the templars are taken care of, I must insist that something now be done for my people in Saddle Arabia!"

Sunset's eyes widened; she couldn't believe that she had forgotten all about it.

"Of course, Felix." said Celestia. "I will send my best guards to--"

"Actually, I think I'd like to go there." said Sunset.

"Sunset, are you certain about this?" asked Princess Luna.

"Of course I am!" said Sunset. "I'm really sorry that I'm going to have to miss out on your lessons...again."

"I understand, Sunset." said Luna, with a hint of reluctance. "I have faith in you, my student. Good luck."

Sunset and Luna hugged each other for a moment, then Sunset went off in the direction of the Summerstar. She went aboard, and looked at all the friends and family members present.

"Everypony..." she said, slowly. "I just want to say...it's been nice knowing all of you."

"What are you talking about, boss?" asked Teddy.

"Yeah, what are you saying?" asked Nose Nip.

"I thought I'd say good-bye to you all in advance." said Sunset.

"What for?" asked Golden Sun.

"Once we all go back to Canterlot, I'm going with Felix to Saddle Arabia, to fight King Nelphyn." said Sunset.

The whole group, even Pressure Point, wore shocked expressions on their faces.

"Are ya crazy?!" said Frosty.

"I admit you're a skilled unicorn, Sunset Shimmer..." said Pressure Point, earnestly. "But even I know you can't just go to Saddle Arabia by yourself."

"Yeah! What'dya think you're doing, Sunny?" Radiant called to her, as he went aboard the Summerstar's cab.

"We're coming with you!" said Lightning Dust, flying up the ramp after Radiant. "We're not letting you go there without some help."

"Please, I don't want anything bad to happen to any of you!" Sunset argued on. "You've all put your lives on the line too much as it is."

"Who's to say we can't watch out for you?" asked Radiant. "I'm not going to let you go to Saddle Arabia...well, not without us."

"All of us!" said Teddy. "If you think we're just gonna let you run off to get yourself killed again, you're crazier than those templars!"

"Besides, daughter. You're not the only one that wants to help Saddle Arabia." said Scarlet Blaze. "They're my people, my father's, your brother's, and even your own."

"But..." said Sunset.

"And even if you did go there with just Felix for company, how would you know what's waiting for you there?" asked Golden Sun. "I've studied Saddle Arabia and its legends for a long time, so you'll need to take advice when dealing with the unexpected dangers that lay ahead."

"And maybe I'll get sum ideas fo' my fashion line while I'm dere!" said Sunflower. "Plus, I'll get to spend time wit my boyfriend!"

Sunflower put a hoof around Frosty's neck.

"Well, I guess somepony needs to fly the Summerstar there if you're all going." said Nose Nip. "So I guess I'm coming along, too."

"Ditto for me." said Frosty. "Plus, maybe I'll get to test out that Gatling Gun now that we've installed it to this airship."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie shall be glad to show those Saddle Arabians some real magic!" said Trixie. "And since King Nelphyn is using the Alicorn Amulet, you might need an expert on the artifact's effects."

"And I'm still in shock over that surgery I did before I came here, so I guess some...fun in the sun wouldn't kill me." said Pressure Point. "Just don't think this means I'm doing this just for you, Sunset. In fact, I expect there will be a lot of ponyfolk there that will be in need of my medical skills to save them."

"What about Maud Pie?" asked Teddy.

The group all looked at Maud, who was staring as blankly as usual.

"I don't mind taking a detour..." said Maud. "As long as there are plenty of rocks for me to look at. But I still think I'd be better off back at the rock farm."

"I believe you would find plenty of rocks in Saddle Arabia." said Crimson Blade. "In fact, there's a landmark in Saddle Arabia called the Elder Rock."

"The Elder Rock?" repeated Scarlet Blaze. "What's that, father? I don't think you mentioned that to me before."

"The Elder Rock is a massive stone of some sort." said Golden Sun, to his wife. "It's said to have fallen from the heavens eons ago, and remains to this day somewhere in what are now the deserts of Saddle Arabia."

"Fallen from the heavens?" asked Sunset. "You mean, like a meteor or a comet?"

"It's possible." said Golden Sun. "I actually brought along a few books about the Elder Rock and other legends about Saddle Arabia, in case we ever decided to go there. We can read up about them on the way there."

"I've actually heard about the Elder Rock." said Maud Pie, approaching Golden Sun. "Professor, I think I could help you all find the Elder Rock. I've read books and poems, even written a few myself, about the Elder Rock. And I know that the minerals it contains are not found anywhere in this part of the world."

"So, you would like to come along then, Miss Pie?" asked Golden Sun.

Maud nodded slowly, but did not change her expression.

"Excellent." said Golden Sun. "You know, it's been a while since I had a teacher's assistant."

"Hey! Sunset Shimmer!" called the voice of Shining Armor from the body of the loading ramp.

Sunset went to the opened door, where Shining Armor and Felix Summerset were waiting at the bottom.

"Just wanna wish you all good luck on your mission." said Shining Armor. "You're all really good ponies, no matter what you may have done in the past. That includes you, Sunset. I just wanna say I'm sorry for how me and Cadence treated you back when you first returned to Equestria."

"It's okay, Captain Armor." said Sunset. "It could've happened with anyone in our positions."

"Right you are." Shining Armor nodded. "By the way, I think you left someone behind."

A fruit bat flew off of her hiding-place on Shining Armor's saddle and hovered in front of Sunset's face.

"Bathilda!" Sunset recognized the bat.

"Would you believe she followed us all the way here from Canterlot?" said Shining Armor. "That's one smart bat you have there."

"Thanks, Shining Armor!" said Sunset. "And see ya later!"

"You, too." said Shining Armor. "Oh, and Cap--I mean, Royal Commander Star Shield says that Radiant and Lightning are both on temporary leave while they're with you. Flash Sentry already volunteered to watch over the Night Guard in Radiant's place until you all return. And if you run into any trouble in Saddle Arabia, Princess Celestia asked me to remind you that the Canterlot Royal Guard won't be too far behind."

"Thanks, I'll let them know." said Sunset, telekinetically raising the ramp and closing the doors and windows after Felix and Bathilda went aboard.

"Okay, everypony." said Sunset to the others. "Let's get this bad boy up in the air. We've got an entire nation to save. And they need to be saved as soon as possible!"

The Road to Saddle Arabia, Part 1

Captain Shining Armor and Royal Commander Star Shield were along the river, overseeing the search for Bloodwing's body. There were royal guards from the Baltimare garrison searching every which way. Eventually, Flash Sentry went up to the two leaders.

"Dad--I mean, commander." Flash said to Star Shield. "We've checked all the riverbanks. Firewing's nowhere to be seen."

"Not too surprising." said Shining Armor. "Sunset Shimmer told me he was blasted to bits with one of his own explosives."

"I didn't know she had it in her." said Flash.

"She didn't." said Star Shield. "Someone else did the deed. But that's beside the point. Even if Firewing was blown apart like what Miss Shimmer described, we should still find bits and pieces of him somewhere."

"That's the thing." said Flash. "There's no evidence of him being dead. No blood, no body. Nothing. Neither in the river, nor on the shores. The only thing we found were pieces of some kind of prosthetic leg in the ruins of the fort."

"Firewing had a prosthetic leg." Star Shield told Shining Armor and Flash. "Then he can't be too far away, unless..."

He paused uncertainly.

"He isn't dead." he said finally, with an ominously grim expression on his face.

The Summerstar had already passed over the eastern coast of Equestria, just as Princess Celestia's sun sank into the West. They were now flying over the ocean, en route to Saddle Arabia. Felix Summerset and Sunset Shimmer were sitting together in the lounge room.

"To think that this airship once belonged to my uncle Lionel." Felix mused. "Incredible."

"That's right, Felix." said Sunset. "And now, I guess it belongs to me and my friends. At first, we were just going to use it to get back to Canterlot from Las Pegasus, but I guess we've grown fond of using it. Now it's pretty much our Mystery Machine...our Starship Enterprise, our Mil--"

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand what any of those are." said Felix, puzzled.

"Oh, well it's not too important, anyway." said Sunset.

Meanwhile, Radiant Dawn was talking with his parents and grandfather.

"So, you're my grandpa, huh?" Radiant asked Crimson Blade. "I heard my mom talking about you."

"And I actually heard quite a bit about you, Radiant Dawn." said Crimson Blade. "Your mother used to send me mail telling me about you...before her disappearance, anyway. Told me you were quite the momma's boy around her."

Radiant blushed, and chuckled a little.

"And he's recently proven to be quite the fighter." added Scarlet Blaze. "You would be proud of him, father."

"I think I already am." said Crimson Blade. "Congratulations on your recent promotion, grandson. I'm sure you'll make a great captain."

"Thanks, grandpa." said Radiant.

"I can tell that you've inherited the strength and finesse of a true Saddle Arabian." said Crimson. "And I'm not just saying this because of how tall you are."

"Well, that's just how mom raised me." said Radiant. "She's probably the biggest influence on my life."

"That's very true." said Golden Sun. "I'm certainly not ashamed to admit that my wife is more a warrior than me or any of my own ancestors have ever been."

"But my husband makes up for it by being so kind and smart." said Scarlet, blushing with her eyes closed. "I've been proud to bear his children." --she opened her eyes again and turned to Radiant--"Especially you, son."

Radiant Dawn nodded his head nervously.

Sunset Shimmer found herself asleep in her room. She twisted and turned in bed in her slumber. She started to whimper, but her eyes did not open. She began to squeal and mutter incoherently, even as the door to her bedroom opened. Radiant Dawn peered inside to investigate the strange noises, and was aghast to see his sister flailing around in her slumber. It took Radiant a while to realize that Sunset was trying to gallop her hooves, like a dog would try to run as it dreamed.

"Sunny..." Radiant whispered. "Wake up...please!"

Sunset kept whimpering, and even her eyes started to twitch and shed tears.

"No...I can't believe this!" Sunset suddenly shouted, horrifyingly loud. "I just won't! Noooooooooooooooooo!!!"

Her horn started to glow, and a strange three-dimensional image of some kind projected from it. But it disappeared before Radiant could make sense of what it was. Then her eyelids snapped open and she was awake again, and looking her brother in the eyes.

"Sunny, what happened?" said Radiant Dawn. "Bad dream?"

Sunset nodded slowly, sweating all over.

"I've never seen you do anything like that in your sleep." said Radiant.

"Anything like what?" asked Sunset.

"You were moving and yelling and stuff while you were sleeping." said Radiant. "I've never seen you do that when you slept."

"You're right." Sunset said. "But the dream...it was just...horrible."

"Why must Trixie be disturbed by--" Trixie loudly shouted as she went to investigate the raised voices, but stopped when she saw Sunset sweating and shaking all over as Radiant held her in his front hooves. "By Celestia, what happened to her?"

Sunset Shimmer sat in the lounge area with Pressure Point, Felix Summerset, and Golden Sun. Pressure Point was magically scanning her body for any infections or illnesses that might be responsible for her sudden behavior, while Felix and Golden Sun were trying to get her to calm down.

"Sunset, dear..." said Golden Sun. "What's the matter? What happened?"

Sunset started to twitch, then she suddenly ran to a nearby trash can and noisily vomited into it. Then she went back to her seat slowly and mechanically.

"Daughter, are you sick?!" said Golden Sun.

"She can't be sick." said Pressure Point, whose horn was still glowing. "There aren't any signs of poisoning, injury, or infection anywhere in her body. Or at least, nothing that would make her act like this."

"Then what is making her behave this way, doctor?" asked Felix.

"I'd say some kind of traumatic or mental breakdown of some sort." said Pressure Point. "I think we should let her lay down for a moment."

Sunset Shimmer slowly opened her mouth, as if to speak. Felix leaned over to help her stay in place.

"Take a minute to get a hold of yourself, Miss Sunset." said Felix.

"I'm f-fine now." she choked out, nervously.

"Sunset, honey." said Golden Sun. "What happened?"

"It was a nightmare." said Sunset. "Probably one of the worst I've had in my life."

"Can you describe it?" asked Felix. "I mean, if you can bring yourself to do so."

"I'll try." Sunset nodded, and began to describe the dream.

Sunset Shimmer found herself trotting slowly through a flat, featureless desert with no signs of life for miles. The hot sun was beginning to set, when a long streak of green light shot over the horizon. It was like a shooting star, but much bigger. The object hit the sand-dunes not too far from where Sunset was, and caused the earth beneath her to shake out-of-control. She heard and felt a low rumbling as the shockwaves issued from the spot where the object landed. Several fissures and sinkholes opened up in the desert, only to be filled once more by sand. Sunset Shimmer fell over as one of the fissures opened between her legs.

Fortunately, she didn't fall in, but rather to the side. As soon as the clouds of sand that rode the shockwaves cleared, Sunset ran to where the mysterious object fell, and was surprised to see that several tall ponies were all standing on and around it. She tried to call out to them, but none of them heeded her words. They were all feeling and walking all over the object, which seemed to be a giant glowing rock that was at least fifteen feet in diameter and three times as long in length.

"Ganto-Mahsu declinu." Sunset heard one of the ponies utter in a foreign language she doubted was ever spoken today. "Pekk-pekk. Mahsu, Pekk."

One of the stallions in the crowd, a lean pegasus, took off into the air, and landed on the top of the giant rock. He beckoned for the others to move aside as he scrutinized a series of rune-like symbols etched into the sides. He put his hoof on one rune, then another, and then two at once.

Suddenly, the rock began to glow brighter and started to vibrate. Several of the ponies that were on the rock with the pegasus fell or rolled off the rock, but the pegasus stayed atop the rock, still touching the symbols. The pegasus slowly began to transform. But the transformation did not daunt the others, who simply climbed back on with him. They too began to change their appearance. Some took beautiful shapes that would easily rival those of the four alicorn princesses, while others took vile, monstrous forms.

Suddenly, Sunset's vision blurred, and cleared again a minute later. There was loud whinnying in the distance, and Sunset turned to see an entire army of large earth ponies approaching the rock and the transformed equines. They were all wearing Ancient Egyptian-esque attire and battered armor. Some were carrying spears while others had slings and javelins. Sunset wondered where they all came from, since she didn't see them before. Shecould only assume this happened later on.

"You will pay for what you monsters have done to our civilization!" said the leader of the newcomers, whose cold voice sounded vaguely familiar to Sunset. "You draw power from this monolith?! Fools! I will show you what power really is! My people shall be avenged, even if it mean sacrificing all our lives!"

Then the leader stomped on the ground hard, and a fissure even larger than the ones produced by the rock spread fifty yards forward, forcing the transformed equines to break away from the rock. While some of them fled into the distance, the others charged head-long towards the army, and a massive battle ensued. Suddenly, Sunset's vision was obscured by a rolling sand-storm that appeared at that moment. Though she couldn't see or feel anything, she could hear the sounds of battle and screams of agony. But by the time the storm cleared, the battle had already ended to a horrible sight: Everypony on both sides was dead.

At least, all except for one of the newcomers, who Sunset recognized as the leader from earlier.

"Are...are you okay?" Sunset asked, stupidly.

The leader said nothing to her, nor even turned his head in her direction. Instead, he approached the monolith that the Altered Ones coveted so much.

"So whatever do we have here?" the leader said aloud, even though there was nopony alive for him to speak with.

"Don't touch it!" Sunset shouted in vain.

The earth pony leader removed the striped coif from his head, revealing his curly black mane and allowing Sunset to see his black eyes. He had a strange grin on his face.

"I may have lost all my soldiers." mused the leader, as he circled the monolith. "But now I have you. I don't know what you are...but you must be worth losing most of my people for. Maybe I can restore them to their former glory."

"Leave it alone, please! Listen to me!" said Sunset. "That thing's bad news!"

Then she gave up, deciding she would never be heard by him. Instead, she began approaching the monolith as the leader touched it. The rock glowed brightly once more, and started to vibrate again.

"Yes!" shouted the leader. "I can feel it! Oh, it feels so good! This power is incredible, unlike anything this world has ever seen!"

Sunset Shimmer now had a very uncomfortable feeling she knew who this earth pony was. She just had to stop him.

"Stop!" she charged at him, her horn glowing.

Suddenly her vision blurred, and she heard a deep, menacing voice she never heard in waking-life speak directly to her, even as she kept galloping into what was now nothingness.

"What you saw was the past..." said the voice. "One that exists in the present cannot hope to change it. For what was done, little unicorn, has already been done. But the future looks no less dark for you, my little pony."

A large, thin shadowy bipedal figure with both hooves and horns stood in front of her, amid a neverending dark void. He didn't seem like a minotaur, but rather...like something else.

"The clock is ticking, and it will soon be the time to put the other pieces into place."

A fleeting series of horrible, violent images of what looked like an apocalyptic Equestria coursed through Sunset's subconscious: Canterlot crumbling from the side of the mountain it was built upon, Baltimare being washed away by a tsunami, Appleoosa being ripped to shreds by multiple cyclones, massive riots breaking out in Las Pegasus, and a great fissure splitting Manehatten in two. The images kept coming and coming, each more gruesome than the last. Unable to take anymore, Sunset cried out in fear and disbelief, and opened her eyes.

"Goodness, Sunset." said Golden Sun, his eyes widened and voice quivering. "That sounds...horrible."

"I don't know if it's supposed to be for real, but I have a feeling that that's what King Nelphyn could do if he succeeds in conquering Saddle Arabia." Sunset Shimmer said.

"But what about that other vision you had, with the falling rock?" asked Pressure Point, curiously.

"I don't know, but I think that King Nelphyn might have some sort of connection with it." said Sunset. "I think it's time for me to hit the books again. Felix, I think I might need your help with it."

"Of course, Miss Sunset." said Felix.

The Road to Saddle Arabia, Part 2

On the bridge of the Summerstar, Nose Nip was still consistently flying the airship eastwards over the ocean. Just as he was about to yawn, Frosty and Sunflower entered the room.

"Wow, Nips!" said Frosty. "Ya still up?"

"That's right." said Nose Nip, hoarsely. "I was waiting for you to show up five hours ago. What the buck were you doing?"

He turned around to see Frosty's mane was sweating and Sunflower was wearing a damp, red silk bathrobe, with her curly orange mane, which was also sweating, tied back.

"Um...I was helpin' Sunflower shampoo her mane!" said Frosty. "Just can't say no to my Manehattenite beauty queen!"

"Never mind what you were doing." Nose Nip said, exhausted. "Look, since you're both here, why don't you let the others know that we'll be landing by tomorrow night."

"Right." said Frosty.

"Ya got it!" said Sunflower.

"Oh, and Frosty?" asked Nose Nip, stopping him before he could leave with Sunflower. "Next time, stop wasting time with your girlfriend. I mean, you don't see me doing that with Maud!"

"Dat's be-cuz Maud's more into rocks than she's into you!" retorted Frosty, snidely.

Nose Nip started grinding his teeth, when he suddenly heard a loud whooshing noise coming from the other side of the bridge's windshield.

"What the heck was that?" Nose Nip said, distracted as he turned around.

Sunset Shimmer was in the study room with Felix Summerset, going through a number of books on Saddle Arabian lore. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so much, there were already many books about Saddle Arabia aboard the Summerstar before Sunset and her friends took it over. Apparently, Lionel Summerset liked keeping track of the history of his homeland.

"You know, I sometimes wonder why my uncle left Saddle Arabia to begin with." said Felix. "The way he keeps all of these books stocked, you'd think he never left it."

"Maybe he wanted to keep these in case he ever wanted to go back for...business reasons." speculated Sunset.

"Yes, Miss Sunset." said Felix. "If he's half the businesspony I've heard he is, that idea sounds quite reasonable."

"In some ways, he is." said Sunset.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come on in!" said Sunset.

The door opened, and Radiant Dawn came inside with a concerned expression on his face.

"How ya doin', Sunny?" he asked.

"Just fine, Red." said Sunset. "You're still up, huh?"

"Yeah." Radiant confirmed. "You really gave me one heck of a scare, sis. So I thought I'd check on you while I was up. Maybe help you with your research."

"Oh, bro...you don't have to do that." said Sunset. "I think you deserve a good night's sleep after last night, and especially the troubles you went through at Fort Echidna. I think anypony could use a nice time to rest after that."

"You and Felix went out of your way to help me and Lightning escape from that whole mess, so I think it's only right that I found some way to return the favor. I mean, you just know that mom would do the same for dad under the same circumstances. So what'dya say?"

Radiant went up to Sunset, and the two siblings hugged.

"Thanks, Red." said Sunset. "You really are the best brother I could ask for."

"Oh, and I thought I'd ask grandpa to come help us, too." said Radiant.

Crimson Blade went into the room, with a little smile on his face.

"Anything for my family." he said. "So what are you trying to look for?"

"I'm trying to look for a book about the history of Saddle Arabia between eight and fifteen hundred years ago." explained Sunset. "I had a dream last night that I think might be involved in the nation's history, so I'm trying to look for any books that go back that for to help explain it."

Sunset gave Crimson a basic summary of the first part of the dream she had, but decided to omit the second half with the voice and the apocalyptic images.

"I have to say that this sounds very ominous." Crimson noted, once Sunset finished. "But very familiar. The rock, or monolith as you call it, sounds very much like the Elder Rock in Saddle Arabia. But I never heard any tales of it glowing, let alone bestowing magical abilities or transformations on pony-folk."

"But what about that battle, though?" asked Sunset.

"I'm afraid my knowledge of the military history of Saddle Arabia doesn't go that far." said Crimson Blade.

"But mine does." said Felix. "I may have been born and raised to be a paladin, but I have also extensively studied my homeland's history of conquest and warfare. There were tales and legends about an ancient empire that ruled thousands of years ago over most of this world's eastern hemisphere, and their capital was located in what is now called Saddle Arabia. They were equines that dwarfed even the modern Saddle Arabians in size and stature, and were even larger than horses. However, their proportion were no different than that of the modern pony of Equestria, so they were technically ponyfolk as opposed to horse-folk."

"So they were the precursors of the Saddle Arabians, right?" asked Sunset.

"It is believed they were." said Felix. "But they weren't quite as noble as our people are now. In fact, they waged war many times with neighboring kingdoms. They battled zebras, gryphons, minotaurs, and even centaurs. In fact, they almost drove the centaur race to extinction, and likely would've succeeded if they weren't mysteriously wiped out themselves."

"Wiped out?" asked Sunset. "How?"

"Yeah, I'd sure like to know, too!" said Radiant.

"Very well." said Felix, pausing to try and remember. "According to legend, the Gianequus Empire--as that ancient civilization was called--was waging war with and enslaving many lesser tribes of both ponies and non-ponies over two thousand years ago, so it would have been well before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's rise to power as princesses, possibly even before Equestria was founded. One tribe, whose name has long since been lost and buried beneath the sands of time, acquired an unknown power and became known as 'the Altered Ones'.
"They were transformed by this power into borderline demigods who could rival an alicorn in power. Some of them became beautiful creatures while the others were turned into dangerous beasts. But regardless of what they turned into, they wouldn't tolerate the pain and suffering caused by the Gianequus Empire, so they used their newly-found powers to completely dismantle their civilization, city by city."

"Well, that sounds fair enough..." said Radiant Dawn.

"But then they became power-hungry and selfish themselves. Instead of using their divine abilities to help the world, they used them to destroy or plague all that didn't submit to their own beliefs."

"Now that's just ridiculous!" Radiant scoffed.

"But what happened to the Altered Ones after that?" asked Sunset. "They can't still be around, can they? Otherwise, we Equestria-folk would've seen or heard of them by now."

"You're right, Miss Sunset." said Felix. "I'm not entirely sure what happened to them, either. I've heard different versions of that same legend many times. Though I suppose that's what would make them legends, and not purely accurate history. Some accounts claim the Altered Ones fled Saddle Arabia to another land, other accounts state that they were all destroyed by the remnants of the Gianequus Empire in a large battle where both sides were totally wiped out at the same time. Further still, other versions claim that the Altered Ones were destroyed or cursed by their own pagan deities for relying on the power of another divine source."

"Weird, this all sound a lot like the dream I had." said Sunset. "And this empire sounds interesting. A whole race of larger-than-life ponies. I wonder if King Nelphyn had anything to do with them."

"It is possible, though there's little evidence to prove that today." said Felix.

"King Nelphyn, huh?" repeated Crimson Blade. "Well, I certainly know who he is."

"Really?" asked Felix.

"That's right." said Crimson. "In fact, it was my ancestor, Maroon Inferno, that made his first defeat all those centuries ago possible."

"I know who Maroon Inferno is." said Sunset. "I mean, I saw him in a vision I had a month or so back."

Suddenly, Radiant started scanning through the books, and chose one titled The Ways of the Hero. He telekinetically lifted it up, and skimmed through the pages before stopping on Page 94.

"Take a look at this." he said, showing the others a colored and stylized sketch of two Saddle Arabians, one an earth pony stallion and the other a pegasus, and both were wearing billowing cloaks and padded armor. The pegasus on the right had a dark curly mane, slate-colored coat, and violet eyes.

The earth pony on the left was clearly Maroon Inferno, since he looked exactly like he did in the vision King Nelphyn had shown to Sunset Shimmer in the human world. However, he looked slightly younger, with less bristles on his chin and upper lip. He also had lips curved into a subtle grin and his green eyes set in a way that implied he had a clever, even mischievous personality. In fact, Sunset couldn't help but compare his expression in the picture to one she used to make herself.

"Well, I can see the resemblance." she said aloud. "But who's the other one, the pegasus?"

"That would be my own ancestor, Onyx Summerset." said Felix.

"Onyx Summerset?" repeated Sunset.

"Yes, he used to be a king of thieves, who roamed the deserts of Saddle Arabia." said Felix.

Sunset and Radiant, knowing about Felix's uncle Lionel, exchanged awkward glances, but said nothing.

"But I had no idea that he knew, or was even alive at the same time as Maroon Inferno." Felix continued.

"According to this book, the two of them were friends." said Sunset. "Onyx persuaded Maroon to betray King Nelphyn and inform him of his plans of conquering Equestria to Princess Celestia. Maroon agreed to compose the message, which Onyx then delivered. After the disappearance of King Nelphyn, Maroon left for Equestria to start his own family, while Onyx was pardoned for his past crimes and allowed to live a legitimate life in the city of Bridylon, in exchange for promising that he would give up his life of crime. He went on to gain mounds of gold that he earned through strictly honorable means."

"How interesting." said Felix.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash in the corridor outside, raised voices coming from the bridge, and banging on the door. Frosty barged right in before any of the four present could say "Come in!".

"Oy...ow..." groaned Frosty.

"Frosty, what's wrong?" asked Radiant Dawn.

"We're under attack!" Frosty panted, before sinking to his knees. "There's gotta be a dozen of 'em!"

"What?!" said Sunset. "Who's doing it? Templars? Changelings?"

"I don't know!" said Frosty. "It was too dark to make out what they were!"

"Then we better find these attackers and stop them!" said Crimson Blade.

"I'd watch out if I was you!" said Frosty. "They can sure take a beating. Sunflower pulverized one of 'em ta dust, and it just came back up, good as new! Even got some new wings!"

Sunset paused, realizing what this meant.

"Oh, boy." she said.

"Sunflower and Nose Nip are pinned down on da bridge!" said Frosty, running out the door. "We gotta save 'em before it's too late!"

Shadow in the Sky

Nose Nip and Sunflower were back to back, fighting the shadow-ponies that surrounded them. There must have been at least a dozen of them on the bridge with them. But they couldn't figure out how they got aboard. What they knew, though, was that these creatures wouldn't do them any good.

"Pick a body part!" Nose Nip said to Sunflower.

"Right." nodded Sunflower, vigilantly.

The two earth ponies charged at the shadow-ponies, knocking them down or throwing them against walls. Nose Nip even hit one so hard that its head was sent flying clean off its shoulders and shattered against the door, where it evaporated into black smoke. However the headless creature evaporated as well, and reshaped itself from a pegasus to a unicorn. It fired a magical blast from its horn, sending Nose Nip flying into the controls of the airship. As he flew, he wound up knocking an unused level back all the way, snapping off the shaft in the process.

This, combined with an unknown assortment of buttons and switches that Nose Nip collided with, caused something unexpected: There was a strong smell of oil and gasoline, and then loud roaring coming from the underside of the balloon part of the Summerstar, which suddenly began rocketing across the night sky at blinding speeds, leaving a trail of fire and smoke from three previously dormant engines attached to the airship's balloon.

The Summerstar was speeding three hundred miles per hour...then four hundred....five...six hundred miles across the ocean, and everyone on-board awake or asleep found themselves smacked into walls. But still, the shadow-ponies kept attacking, even spreading out into the corridors and other rooms. The other passengers found themselves locked in combat with the shadowy equine creatures. Pressure Point, Teddy, and Maud Pie were fighting four in the cargo area; Scarlet Blaze and Trixie in the main corridor; and Golden Sun, Bathilda, and Lightning Dust in the lounge. The others were fighting both the shaking zeppelin and the shadow-ponies to get to the bridge.

Nose Nip staggered back up and started smacking shadow-ponies left and right, even breaking a few of their necks. Sunflower also did the same, but the shadow-ponies just sprang back to life in newer bodies each time. Their shadows were starting to cover the walls, even after they moved away from them, and began to turn into even more shadow-ponies.

"How man o' dese guys are dere?!" Sunflower exclaimed, trying to hold her ground.

"As many as they want, by the looks of it!" said Nose Nip. "But we can't fight them with our airship speeding into oblivion like this!"

"Then stop it! You're da pilot!" said Sunflower.

"I don't even know what I did to make them speed like this!" shouted Nose Nip over the roaring engines. "And even if I did, the controls for them are probably broken now!"

"Oh, just poi-fect." groaned Sunflower.

The doors to the bridge opened again, and Frosty, Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, Felix Summerset, and Crimson Blade all hurried inside. Sunset Shimmer recognized what the creatures were quickly enough, and told the other three unicorns to fire stunning spells at them. The shadow-ponies hit the ground, paralyzed just long enough for them to talk to Nose Nip and Sunflower.

"What the heck's up with the Summerstar?!" shouted Radiant over the sound of the rocketing engines.

"I accidentally damaged the engines while fighting those things." said Nose Nip. "I didn't even know this thing had boosters at all! But it's too late to switch them back off."

"Then we'll have ta go to da engine room and cut deir power ourselves!" said Frosty. "Sunflower and I can handle that! Nips, why don'tcha make sure we don't end up crashin' into somethin'?"

Nose Nip nodded.

"The rest of us will try and get the creatures off this airships before we're overrun." said Radiant Dawn.

"That won't do us any good, Red!" said Sunset. "They'll just keep regenerating and multiplying until sunrise. What we have to do is make sure we outlast them until morning, and then they'll be weakened!"

"And how long till the sun rises?" asked Nose Nip.

Sunflower held up her pocket-watch.

"About a half-hour away." said Sunflower. "So we better get our flanks movin'!"

Frosty and Sunflower sped out of the room, followed by Felix and Crimson, while Radiant Dawn and Sunset Shimmer stayed behind with Nose Nip to remove the shadow-ponies from the room. Radiant successfully blasted a few shadow-ponies in half, incinerating them with his magic, while Sunset Shimmer juggled the others in the air, smacking them into each other, and then shooting them out of open windows. But when either of them tried removing the shadows on the walls, they expanded and turned into more shadow-ponies. There was little Sunset and Radiant could do but hold them off while Nose Nip manned the controls.

"They're worse than the Changelings!" shouted Scarlet Blaze, as she fired a large cluster of spells at the shadow-ponies. "There's just no stopping these creatures!"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie shall make them hate their own immortality after Trixie is through with them!" Trixie shouted as she unleashed a chain lightning spell from her horn on the group presently attacking them.

The shadow-ponies hit the floor and walls, leaving their shadows where they landed. The shadow-ponies transformed into new equine shapes while they shadows sprang up as shadow-ponies themselves, taking the forms the others had previously taken.

"On second thought, Trixie has been known to not meet expectations." Trixie said, wide-eyed and nervous.

Teddy and his group already figured out that the shadow-ponies could multiply or reshape themselves if they were destroyed on solid ground, so they figured they needed to get the shadow-ponies off the airship as quickly as possible. Pressure Point and Teddy opened the cargo bay's door, being as careful as possible to not get swept away by the strong winds outside.

Maud Pie stood stationary and four shadow-ponies approached her. They all tried to tackle her, only to smack into her and slide to the floor, dazed. They got up again, and then charged at her again. Maud listlessly raised a hoof and casually swatted them away.

"Bring it on." Maud said blankly, to a fifth shadow-pony.

The shadow-pony, which was in the form of an earth pony, began to expand in size five times over. It stomped on the cargo bay's floor. But Maud just looked at it indifferently. The giant shadow-pony charged towards her, like a bull in a china-shop. But Maud leaped into the air, did a somersault, and grabbed the giant shadow-pony's tail even as she was mid-air. She started swinging around the shadowy giant at the other shadow-ponies in the room, knocking them all out the opened cargo door, before tossing the giant out after them. The shadow-ponies all hit the seawater below, with the giant making a large, satisfying splash.

"Well..." Pressure Point panted. "Thank Celestia that's over--"

Then another shadow-pony flew through the doorway, ramming into Pressure Point and sending them both over the edge of the cargo door. Teddy. alarmed, ran over to look down, followed by Maud. Pressure Point was holding on for dear life from a loose cable hanging from the cargo bay, being blown back as the zeppelin moved at its near-terminal speed while the winged shadow-pony was pursuing him, poised to strike.

"Pressure, are you okay?!" Teddy called down to him.

"Does it look like I'm okay?!" Pressure shouted. "I should've known that joining Sunset Shimmer on any adventure would get me killed!"

"Oh, boy." Teddy said, disoriented by the fast speed of the airship, combined with the predicament Pressure Point was currently in.
"Don't worry, Pressure! We'll getcha help!"

"Forget about me, darn it!" Pressure shouted back up to him. "Just get the rest of those shadow-ponies out of the airship!"

Suddenly, the Summerstar started to gradually descend.

"Hey, I think we're landing!" Teddy said to Maud.

Maud shook her head, and pointed down. Teddy, Pressure Point, and even the pursuing shadow-pony looked down, and saw they were getting closer and closer to the ocean's deep, moonlit water. All three of them opened their mouth to shout and panic (although the shadow-pony, being mute, made no sound of its own) as the airship came closer and closer to drowning itself.

More shadow-ponies started to appear throughout the airship as Frosty, Sunflower, Felix, and Crimson fought their way to the engine room. But they found themselves able to blast or hoof-punch their way through their shadowy adversaries. Suddenly, the Summerstar started to quiver beneath their hooves.

"Now what's wrong wit dis thing?!" Frosty shouted.

Lightning Dust and Golden Sun were in the middle of fighting yet another growing swarm of shadow-ponies, when they was a loud banging noise, and everyond in the lounge was sent skywards. However, Bathilda and Lightning Dust were able to catch themselves in mid-air, while Golden Sun caught himself with his own telekinesis, and all the shadow-ponies were smacked hard into the ceiling.

"Dude, what's going on?!" Lightning Dust said, as the airship sank further and further down.

"Either the helium tanks and engines are failing, or the growing number of these creatures in putting too much strain on the airship to keep us airborne." suggested Golden Sun.

"How the heck would you know that?" Lightning asked.

"It's all elementary: if you tie a balloon to something heavy, it will stop going up." said Golden Sun, simply. "Either way, if something doesn't happen soon, we'd all better learn how to swim!"

"Are ya kidding?" Lightning shouted over the increasingly loud roaring. "We have enough trouble up here in the sky! I don't need to learn how to live like a mer-pony, too!"

Golden Sun floated over to a window.

"Well, at least the sun should be coming up soon!" Golden Sun said.

"Let's hope we live long enough to see that happen!" Lightning said. "In the mean-time, let's start booting their guys off our zeppelin!"

Suddenly, a vast shadow passed over the Summerstar, and there was a sound that perhaps none of the ponies on the airship expected: the screech of a bird.

"What the heck?" Lightning Dust said, landing to look out the window with Golden Sun. "What made that noise?"

Golden Sun turned around, to a strange surprise.

Frosty and his group reached the engine room, and found the generators that directed power to the zeppelin's rocket boosters.

"Okay, let's put this baby to sleep!" said Frosty.

The four detached the cables that connected the generators to the boosters, being as careful as possible not to do anything that would cause the engine room to be set ablaze and the Summerstar slowed down. At almost the same time, it stopped descending towards the sea, even beginning to rise back up to the appropriate altitude, as if a massive burden had been removed from its cab.

"Well, our work's done!" said Frosty. "Now let's get those shadow-ponies off da blimp and get us a good night's sleep."

They went out into the corridor and hurried to the armory. Suddenly, Golden Sun, Scarlet Blaze, Lightning Dust, and Trixie Lulamoon came up to them.

"Well, it's good to know you all survived." said Felix. "But where are the others?"

"I don't know." said Golden Sun. "But it looks like we might have another problem."

"What problem?" asked Frosty.

Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, and Nose Nip were all on the bridge, fighting more and more shadow-ponies were were nearly two-dozen by that point, when they suddenly faded into the darkness.

"What the heck's going on?" asked Radiant. "It ain't even sunrise yet!"

"Think they decided to give up and retreat?" suggested Nose Nip.

"With...numbers that large and abilities that incredible?" said Sunset, panting. "I couldn't doubt it less. They were winning, and there's no denying that. Pop quiz: if you're in a lake infested with pirahna, why wouldn't they be swarming all over you?"

"I dunno, Sunny." said Radiant.

"I don't know, either." said Nose Nip. "And my dad fishes for a living."

"The answer is..." said Sunset, in a grim tone. "Because there's a shark in the water; in other words, something bigger and meaner is coming our way...now."

There was a loud screech coming from outside the airship.

"In fact, I think it's already here." Sunset said, ominously.

Pressure Point was still hanging from the loose cable that he had been dangling from for what seemed like ten minutes.

'For goodness sake, is anypony going to help me or not?!" demanded Pressure Point.

"Sorry, doc!" Teddy called down to him. "We just wanted to make sure none of those shadow-ponies would be around to stop us. But don't worry, we're gonna get you back up here now."

"Darn right you're going to--" said Pressure, as Teddy and Maud pulled up the cable he was hanging from. "Wait, so you mean there aren't any more shadow-ponies up here?"

He looked around, and saw that the shadow-pony pursuing him had disappeared as well.

"It doesn't seem that way." said Teddy.

"I wonder why that is--what in Equestria?!" Pressure exclaimed as he looked up at the sky around the zeppelin.

It was a remarkable sight: a vast winged shape, like a giant bird with a fifty-yard wingspan was gliding in circles around the Summerstar, like a great bird-of-prey. It was making calls with the power of a giant's bugle, but it surprisingly made no attempt to attack the airship. Pressure couldn't help but keep his gaze on the mysterious winged beast until he was finally pulled back up into the cargo bay, where Sunset Shimmer and the others had regrouped.

"You okay, Pressure?" asked Sunset.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." said Pressure.

Suddenly, there was a loud whooshing noise from below the Summerstar, and the large group of ponies caught sight of a massive bird with red-and-gold feathers and glowing eyes flying right underneath the opened door. It passed by them at breakneck speed, and disappeared into the night sky. At first, one would have thought the bird-creature was a phoenix due to the similar colors, but it was much larger than any phoenix in recorded history, being roughly the same size as a fully-grown dragon. All of the ponies were totally lost for words and unable to comment on what they saw, instead closing the cargo door again and going back to the lounge area to reflect on what they all experienced and saw together.

Welcome to Saddle Arabia, Part 2

Sunset Shimmer and the others were lead across the streets of the port-town, which was inhabited by earth ponies from both Mustangia and Saddle Arabia. The citizens were mostly seafarers and merchants with some scholars here and there, though it also boasted a large, well-armed security force that could rival the Canterlot Royal Guard in terms of strength and tactics. Although they were nowhere near as numerous as their Equestria counterparts, and they seemed to be confined to the colony's legal boundaries.

They came to the town's government center, a handsome marble building with copper statues of various ponies of different breeds and sizes. When they went inside, they were led into a large hall with tribal masks of ancient tribes lining the walls, and a long table with many chairs in the middle. At the end of the table sat a greenish-yellow earth pony stallion with an orange mane and brown eyes.

"Hello, my fine fillies and gentlecolts!" said the sitting stallion, who spoke like a Southern gentlemen. "Welcome to my town! I'm Minister Hotrod Sterling, and this here colony is both the last you'll see of Equestria, and the first y'all will see of Saddle Arabia--or the other way around if you're already from this side of the sea! Anywho, come on over and have a bite to eat! Try some of the local grub, or maybe some old favorites from back home!"

Sunset and the others all sat down and ate different types of food, both familiar and unfamiliar to them. To Radiant's delight, there were helpings of krembo for dessert.

"So what brings y'all to these here parts anyhow?" asked Hotrod Sterling. "Gettin' sick of Equestria and want a li'l excitement in your life?"

"Actually, we're here on a very important mission." said Sunset.

"Lemme guess....one of those secret--I say!--secret missions, huh?" Sterling tilted his head.

"Not really." said Sunset. "A powerful tyrant has invaded Saddle Arabia and is wreaking havoc all over the place with powerful dark magic. So we're here to stop him."

"Well, I'd wish ya--I say!--I wish you the, uh, best of luck." said Minister Sterling. "We at New Mustangia don't exactly have a liking for being ruled by magic-usin' tyrants ourselves! But what happens in the other parts of Saddle Arabia don't matter to us, unless this tyrant comes our way! And he must be--I say!--he must be a smart fella too, not comin' our way! He knows he's gonna regret scrappin' with my boys! He'd be dead before he could even think of usin' that there hocus-pocus of his on us!"

he guffawed noisily, though Sunset and the others weren't amused.

"Oh, I can tell y'all are serious about this." said Sterling. "Just wanted to lighten the mood a spell. Anywho, I gotta ask y'all a very important question: did the princesses put'cha up to this mission or what?"

The Minister's armored bodyguards, which stood on either side of him mechanically turned their heads to look at the group of newcomers, as if to scan them.

"Actually--" Radiant Dawn began, but Sunset interrupted when she noticed the guards' strange movements.

"We came here on our own decision." she said. "In fact, the princesses didn't want us to go at all, but we did so anyway."

"Ah....interestin' story there, miss..." Minister Sterling said.

"Sunset Shimmer." said Sunset. "And these are friends and family of mine. We're adventurers that are out to see the world, and we help fight monsters and criminals once in a while."

"How nice to meet y'all then!" said Sterling, who turned his head and whispered to his bodyguards: "Settle down now, boys, settle down."

The bodyguards stopped moving and maintained their stationary poses.

"So, is there anything y'all need?" asked Sterling.

"Yes, actually." said Sunset. "We'd like some help repairing our zeppelin, since it took some damage on the way here."

"Don't ya worry, little miss." said Sterling. "My boys at the docks can fix any kinda transport, even if it don't belong in the water!"

"We'd also like a map of Saddle Arabia, along with directions to Mareusalem." said Sunset.

"I could give y'all each a map of your own, along with some routes to get from place to place." said Sterling. "Boys, give 'em some maps!"

The bodyguards left the room and returned with several maps rolled up on a tray. There was one for Sunset and each of her companions.

"The nearest city from here's Bahaggara." said Sterling, as his guards passed out maps. "Just twenty-somethin' miles northeast of here. If there's any news on this tyrant of yours, you'll probably find it there."

"Thanks, Minister." said Sunset, grinning.

"Now is there anything else you'll be wantin'?" asked Minister Sterling.

"We'll need to someplace where we can stay until we're ready to head over to Bahaggara." said Sunset. "And somepony to get our things off of our airship while it's being repaired."

"Done, and done." said Sterling. "Y'all can spend the day n' night here in the guest rooms!"

"You have guest rooms?" asked Lightning Dust.

"That's right, missy!" said Sterling. "I get lotsa important V.I.P.s from all over, so havin' lotsa room to put 'em all's very important for us colonists. And as my guests of honor, you're all welcome to use 'em as long as ya like!"

"That's very generous of you, Minister." said Sunset.

"Well, what kinda host would I be if I didn't provide lodgings for the likes of you fellas?" asked Sterling. "If any of ya need anything else, just ask! I got more helpers than I could care to talk to 'round here."

Sunset and the others took the time to explore the port-town and the surrounding territory of the colony. There, they learned about that the settlement was established in less than a year, and that it was originally a fishing village that was used as a waystation and outpost for the Saddle Arabians until they were forced to abandon it on account of a recent power struggle in Bahaggara. However, Hotrod Sterling crossed the sea from Equestria, along with a group of hired mercenaries, and came upon the forsaken fishing village and paid the rulers of Bahaggara to give it and the land around it to them so that they could make a thriving town of their own from it.

As months went by, word reached Equestria of this colony, and several ponyfolk, mostly earth ponies from Mustangia that were friends and family of Sterling, crossed over to live in the colony that would be known as New Mustangia. They used stone brought over from Mustangia and used them to restore and reinforce the battered shacks and yurts that originally comprised the village and made them each a suitable place for an entire family to live. From there, even more stone buildings were constructed with assistance from the locals into a town that was the ideal blend of Equestrian and Saddle Arabian architecture. Indeed, the only freshly-constructed building in New Mustangia with a design that was influenced exclusively by Equestria's architecture was the government center.

What was even more impressive was that the colonization process of New Mustangia had very little, if any, involvement from the princesses in Equestria. Instead, they were financed by a third party that also originated from Equestria. It is believed by the colonists that this third party was the same group that Sterling hired his mercenaries from.

Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer and her family went around asking the Saddle Arabian citizens of the colony about what life was like in the rest of the nation. Although the intentions were to simply know the lay of the land, Radiant Dawn genuinely wanted to learn about his ancestral roots. He stopped a young Saddle Arabian filly on the road to ask questions.

"Um...hello?" asked Radiant. "Uh...this might seem like an awkward thing to ask a kid, but...you see, I'm Saddle Arabian just like you--well, one-eighth, anyway--and want to learn more about my ancestors. Do you know anywhere I can learn about it?"

"You could try going to the library in Bahaggara." the filly grinned.

"Thanks, I'll check it out when I get there." said Radiant, smiling back. "Thanks, kid."

"I'm much glad to help you, sir." said the filly, who hesitated. "Sorry, I'm not very used to speaking your language."

"No, it's okay. It's okay." said Radiant.

He opened up his saddle-bag, and levitated an ornamental decoration from the degrading outfit he wore as a prisoner in Fort Echidna.

"Here." he said. "You can probably give your parents a good meal if you sell it."

"Thank you." said the filly. "Farewell, stranger."

The filly went down the street, with Radiant looking after her. He couldn't help but think of Sunset Shimmer when she was a filly. Suddenly, two of the armored guards stopped the filly as she ran and grabbed her by the scruff of her silk vest.

"Where did you get this, little filly?" Radiant heard one of the guards say to the filly. "Did you steal it?"

"No, I didn't!" panicked the filly.

"Likely story." said the first guard. "It's a little odd that a child would be running around with this kind of ornament."

"It was given to me!" said the filly. "The big red stallion let me have it."

The two guards turned to look at Radiant, who quickly turned to look away, then looked at the filly.

"Thank you, little girl." said the first guard, politely patting the filly on the back. "You can keep it for now. Now go back and play with your friends."

Without another word, the filly continued down the road, while the two guards slowly approached Radiant.

"Excuse me, sir." said the first guard. "But we were curious as to how that ornament you gave to that little filly first came into your possession."

"I...found it somewhere." Radiant said, hesitantly.

"I think you better come with us to the guardhouse." said the first guard. "Something about you doesn't seem--"

"Hold on." said the second guard, recognizing Radiant. "I know who this stallion is."

"You do?" asked Radiant.

"You're one of the Minister's guests from back West. Aren't you?"

"That's right." Radiant nodded carefully.

"Okay, then." said the second guard. "You're checked out, then."

"What was that all about, though?" asked Radiant.

"Oh, I'm sorry if we spooked you a little." said the first guard.

"Actually, I was talking about the filly." said Radiant.

"Oh, there's been talk about somepony using the colony to smuggle...items of important value...to the other Saddle Arabian cities. We just don't wanna risk letting any suspicious ponies escape our sight without checking on them first."

"Well, that's not how they handle things in Eq--"

"Of course not." said the second guard. "But we don't answer to the princesses anyway, so their laws don't mean squat around here. Hope you don't have a problem with that."

"Nope. Not at all." Radiant nodded awkwardly, before turning away.

"Then enjoy the rest of your time in our colony." said the first guard. "Though I think I'd get back indoors if I were you, esteemed guest."

"Why?" asked Radiant.

"Because it gets dangerous to walk these streets after dark." said the guard. "We get all kinds of strange creatures creeping in from the desert...and from out of the water."

"The water?" asked Radiant. "What the heck could come out of the water and cause trouble here?"

"Sea turtles." said the guard. "Big ones."

The guards left to continue their patrol. Sunset met up with Radiant.

"How's it going, Red?" she asked as she approached him. "Get any info on the land?"

"A little of this, a little of that." Radiant answered hesitantly, thinking about what the guards told him. "How's our plans for setting off to Bahaggara?"

"All set." said Sunset. "We'll leave at midnight, since the Summerstar still needs repairs, and it's supposed to be very, very hot out there tomorrow morning. Nose Nip and Frosty--and their girlfriends, I guess--will stay to help fix the airship while the rest of us head over to the city. They said they'll meet us there by tomorrow night."

"That sounds good." said Radiant. "Though I think we might need to bring some weapons with us if we're traveling at night. In the mean-time, I think ought to turn in early, to keep our energy up."

A Cold Reception in Bahaggara, Part 1

It was midnight when Sunset Shimmer and the others prepared for the journey to Bahaggara. Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, Scarlet Blaze, Golden Sun, Crimson Blade, Trixie Lulamoon, Lightning Dust, Felix Summerset, Teddy, and Pressure Point reached the boundaries of New Mustangia. They had provisions from both the Summerstar and the port-town with them for the journey across the desert. Radiant, Crimson, and Felix all wore armor salvaged from Fort Echidna underneath the clothing they wore, with Felix keeping his blowgun strapped to his saddle-bag.

Hotrod Sterling and two of the town's guards were also there to see them off.

"I wish ya--I say!--I wish y'all good luck on your special mission!" said Sterling, shaking Sunset's front-left hoof. "Oh, and don't let the scorpions getcha! They're bigger and meaner than a boarhound with rabies!"

"Thanks, Minister." said Sunset.

"And if you need anything else, you're welcome to come--I say!--you're welcome to come back now, ya hear?."

"All right." smiled Sunset.

Sterling and the guards waved after Sunset and the others as they turned away from New Mustangia and disappeared into the night.

Sunset Shimmer and the others trekked through the desert, which was dark and cooled since it was the middle of the night, and there was hardly any wind. There wasn't a single cloud anywhere in the sky, so there was nothing preventing them from seeing all the stars in the sky as they went on. Lightning Dust hovered beside Radiant Dawn, while Pressure Point and Trixie were shivering from the cold winds.

"How are you all able to deal with this cold?" Pressure inquired when he noticed that nopony apart from his cousin seemed to mind the temperature.

"Well, my family lives in Vanhoover, where it's usually very cold or cloudy." said Sunset. "So does Teddy..."

"I have lived in Saddle Arabia all my life, so I'm used to how cold the nights in the desert are here." said Felix.

"I'm a pegasus, so cold weather's something I gotta deal with all the time." said Lightning Dust.

"And the Royal Guard trains its--" Crimson began.

"Okay, okay." said Pressure. "I get the point."

Suddenly, a dark winged shape glided over them, across the half-moon. Sunset and Teddy looked up, frightened.

"Is that...the Roc?" said Teddy.

Felix looked up quickly, and scanned the night sky, but didn't see anything but the celestial bodies that shone down on the world.

"I don't there's anything up there that we haven't already seen." said Felix.

"It was probably just a cloud." said Trixie.

"There aren't any clouds up there." said Scarlet. "It was probably nothing, anyway--"

Suddenly, there was a loud bird-call to their right. Teddy fell sideways into Pressure Point, knocking both stallions over.

"You...clumsy moron!" growled Pressure as he got back up.

Sunset and the others huddled together, bracing themselves for an attack as they turned towards the source of the noise. But to their relief, it was just an ordinary vulture, with a piece of horn from a long-dead ox's skull clamped in its beak. The carrion-bird saw the group of ponies facing it, and it promptly flew off with the horn fragment. Sunset illuminated her horn, and looked at the ground. There were bits and pieces of broken ox bones throughout the sand where the vulture originally stood.

"Well, I think any hope I had of getting through this desert without repercussion just went down the drain." sighed Pressure.

"Hang on, Pressure." said Sunset. "I think you might want to look at the bones. Look at them closely."

Pressure groaned and approached the broken skeleton, and noticed that there were bite-marks all over the remains of the ribcage. The presence of saliva indicated that this was done recently.

"I recognize those teeth marks anywhere." said Pressure Point. "There must be wolves nearby. As if I don't have enough reasons to not follow you guys anymore. But since I doubt any of you know how to treat any disease you could get from being bitten by those beasts, I guess I'll stick around to help your sorry flanks."

Sunset and the others heeded Pressure's words, and they all continued on through the desert, watching for any hostile wildlife, but saw none. They went on a few more miles before they caught sight of a glint of firelight in the distance. They approached it, and saw even more, among a series of tall shadowy shapes, all surrounding an even golden glint. They came closer and saw that it was a shrine of some kind. There were robed Saddle Arabians holding torches in their hooves and standing a multi-layed circle around some kind of golden statue of an ox; no doubt that this was an idol of some sort worshipped by a Saddle Arabian cult.

Felix realized what it was, and starting muttering something in Arabic.

"What's wrong, Felix?" Radiant asked.

"I know what this place is." he said. "This is the shrine of Jarukia, the God of Agriculture."

"Saddle Arabia believes in gods?" asked Radiant.

"Yes." said Felix. "Many, actually. But Jarukia is probably the...least popular, to say the least."

"Why?" asked Sunset. "I mean, if he's the God of Agriculture..."

"And the god that requires the most tribute." said Felix, shifting uneasily in place.

"What kind of tribute are we talking about?" asked Lightning.

"I've heard about Jarukia, actually." said Golden Sun. "Read about him when I was still at the University of Baltimare/ Apparently, whenever the required sacrifice is made, a new oasis springs up somewhere in the desert. Where it appears is never clear, and some doubt it happens at all, or if the oasis was already there to begin with, and the sacrifice was for nothing."

"What sacrifice would that be?" asked Sunset.

"The sacrifice involves the slaying of two equines of any species or breed, and of two of every species of livestock there is to be found in Saddle Arabia: Two pigs, two oxen, two sheep, two cattle, and two chickens. I won't go into the details of what else is involved in the ritual, but I can say it isn't pretty...at all."

"That's horrible!" exclaimed Teddy. "I mean, I don't even like chickens that much, but still..."

"How are your people able to tolerate something like that?" asked Sunset.

"A lot of us don't, actually." said Felix. "In fact, worship of Jarukia is prohibited in most of our cities, It would also be banned altogether from our nation, but Jarukia apparently has a strong following both in and beyond Saddle Arabia. So banning it would lead to a power struggle in our government. So we have no choice but to tolerate it, as long as it is only conducted at shrines like this one, and with the worshippers' own livestock, and the equines sacrificed are condemned prisoners from the cities."

"It's still a heinous thing to do." said Sunset.

"That it is, Miss Sunset." said Felix. "That it is. But please, let's not come any closer to these zealots."

"Good idea." said Scarlet.

So they bypassed the shrine and its worshippers, and moved on to the north-east, until they were within sight of the city of Bahaggara. There was a tall marble wall stretched around the city, with the tiny silhouettes of guards traversing the battlements. They were also two watchtowers flanking the gate, with torches lit at the top. Sunset and the others approached the gateway, which was sealed by a portcullis. Sunset noticed that there were no guards outside, only inside. She approached the portcullis, when two guards approached her from the other side to challenge her.

"Who are you?" said one of the guards.

"Sunset Shimmer." said Sunset.

"What business do you have in our city?" asked the second guard.

"We're travelers that need a place to spend the night." said Sunset.

"Then come back tomorrow." said the first guard. "The lord of the city has ordered that the gates be sealed after dusk."

"Tomorrow?" repeated Sunset. "Are you kidding me?! It's supposed to be very hot tomorrow, and we've come a long way as it is! All the way from Equestria."

"We don't care who you are or where you came from." said the first guard. "Now get out of our sight, filly, or we shall throw you to the scorpions!"

Felix Summerset marched up to them.

"I should have known that something of this sort would happen." he said, sourly. "Open the gates now. This mare and the others are here on important business. As a paladin, I demand your open this gate immediately!"

"A paladin?" said the first guard. "Shouldn't you be at Mareusalem getting yourself killed like the others?"

"Excuse me?!" exclaimed Felix.

"Okay, we'll open the gate." said the second guard, activating the lever that raised the portcullis but not letting go of it. "But you have only ten seconds to go in back before we close it again until morning--by you now have five seconds."

Sunset and the others panicked and rushed through the gateway, the metal bars grazing Pressure Point's backside as he went through last. He howled in pain and started uttering curse words under his breath. Sunset and the others were actually shocked by this and all glared at the two guards.

"We have nurses at the palace." said the second guard, who didn't at all seem disturbed by the fact that he inadvertantly injured somepony. "Now move along. We in Bahaggara have little tolerance for outsiders, so go there immediately or the next injury one of you gets will be deliberate."

"Your lord will hear about this!" said Felix, spitefully. "Bahaggara is supposed to be hospitable to everypony, including outsiders!"

"Times change, paladin." said the first guard. "Consider yourself lucky we're listening to you at all. Now go!"

Sunset and the others went on down the cobblestone streets of the city and went ahead to the palace in the center.

"What in the hoof was that all about?" asked Sunset.

"I have no idea, Miss Sunset." said Felix. "But I have a bad feeling about this. I can only hope we can find out what is going on here."

"I, for one--ow!--don't care what what's going on here." said Pressure. "I can't believe they just dropped the gate on me!"

Teddy looked at Pressure, and saw several welts, bruises, and scrape marks on lower back and hindquarters. There were even a few torn or split hairs on his tail.

"Man, you should really have somepony check on that!" said Teddy.

"Of course I should!" said Pressure. "And I'd do it myself if it was in the area that's as far away from my horn as possible!"

He sighed uneasily.

"Though it if was somewhere closer to my horn, chances are It would probably be lethal."

A Cold Reception in Bahaggara, Part 2

The city of Bahaggara was surprisingly very large, especially compared to most of the towns in Equestria. There were hundreds of houses, shops, and various other points of interest within the pentagonal radius of its walls. The sun was only peeking over the horizon, and the city already had thousands of citizens walking and trotting its streets. Bahaggara was inhabited by not only Saddle Arabian ponies, but also zebras, camels, minotaurs, and a few gryphons and even hippogriffs. And what was more astounding was that there seemed to be dozens of armed guards on each and every street at every given time, with a guardhouse or watchtower at nearly every street corner.

There were five districts in the city, each almost large enough to be a large town unto itself. The northern district held the markets, with shops selling many types of products from all over the nation. The eastern district, which extended to two corners of the surrounding wall, held the houses and apartments for both residence and visitors, as well as libraries, museums, and universities. The south-western district was devoted to worship and religion, with temples and chapels lined up in rows. According to local residents, at least eighteen different religions were practiced in Saddle Arabia, but only five of them were actually practiced in that district. The fourth district, to the north-west, was where construction and recreation were conducted, with parks, arenas, and stadiums, as well as several lesser businesses.

The fifth district, the Palace Plaza, was in the center of the city and divided from the others by another layer of walls and gates. By the time Sunset Shimmer and company arrived at the palace, the Sun was already rising...to a red dawn, no less. The palace of Bahaggara was mostly circular and flat, except for a few towers in the middle. Its exterior had a mostly ebony color, with bronze frames around its pentagonal windows, and copper tips on its towers, although its walls had a silver rim at the bottom. The interior, on the other hand, was mostly a cream color with silver furniture, as if the palace were crafted from a giant Oreo cookie.

Sunset and the others made it to the throne room of the palace, which, unlike all the other rooms, was mostly golden and red in color, with an obsidian throne, upon which the lord of Bahaggara was sitting.

"Everypony, just leave the talking to me and Felix, okay?" Sunset said to the others.

Her friends nodded, but her family members seemed reluctant about this.

"Are ya sure about this, Sunny?" asked Radiant Dawn.

"I'm positive, Red." said Sunset.

"We have confidence in you, dear." said Scarlet Blaze.

Sunset smiled, and nodded, before turning to face and then approaching the ruler of the city.

"I don't recognize any of you." said the lord. "Outsiders, no doubt."

"Actually--" Felix began.

"I know you are a paladin, and that you are Felix Summerset." said the lord.

The others, barring Sunset herself, all looked at Felix.

"But I suppose the rest of you don't know who I am. Quartz Sandstorm, lord of Bahaggara. From whence have you all come?"

"Equestria, my lord." said Sunset, kneeling forward. "I am Sunset Shimmer, a unicorn from the city of Vanhoover. I've been the student of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

"Then may I assume you're those reinforcements that Equestria has sent to help...those paladins...battle King Nelphyn."

"No, we came here of our own accord." said Sunset.

"Which I suppose explains why you would waste time here when you could be wasting your lives like the paladins blockading Mareusalem."

"Excuse me?" asked Sunset. "What are you talking about?"

"The paladins are all out fighting for a lost cause." explained Quartz Sandstorm. "They cannot stop the evil that has invaded the capital city, but only I seem to have the foresight to see how inevitable their failure is. This is why what happens outside our walls stays outside our walls, and I will keep it that way!"

"Your own homeland is in danger, and you're not going to lift a hoof to save it?"

"If I were to send my soldiers against that tyrant, they will surely be destroyed, and there will be to few to protect my city."

"Your city will probably be destroyed anyway if King Nelphyn defeats the paladins." countered Sunset.

"If we pose no threat to him, he may not see any reason to destroy us." said Quartz.

"Can you be too sure about that?" asked Sunset.

Quartz snarled.

"I want my citizens to survive." he said. "And I've debated about this subject many times with others before you, and I've already decided that I wouldn't do anything about King Nelphyn, unless he did lay siege to the city. So if this was all you came here for, I suggest you all leave my palace...now."

Sunset sighed.

"Actually, we do need a place to stay." said Sunset."Just for a while."

"And then what do you plan to do?" asked Sandstorm.

"Well, since you've made it clear that you aren't interested in saving Saddle Arabia, I guess it'll be up to me and my friends and family."

"The paladins of Saddle Arabia are the most experienced warriors in all the land, yet they're at a stalemate at best." said Quartz. "What makes you all so sure that a group of foreigners like yourselves could stand a chance against King Nelphyn?"

"At least we're actually trying to do something about it." said Sunset. "Just not doing anything is the wrong thing to do! I mean, don't you think maybe your people would rather go down fighting than spend their days living as cowardly isolationists...or slaves, if Nelphyn decides to keep you all alive for that reason? I mean, he's done it before."

"I don't care what anyone else thinks, but I'm not sending my guards out for anything." said Quartz. "Now please, I insist you all rest yourselves, and we will be able to continue this discussion later this afternoon, when you've learned how to behave yourselves in my court."

Sunset nodded, but frowned.

"I see." she said. "Thank you for being patient with us."

She gestured for the others to leave with her. Quartz looked at Sunset with some admiration as she and the others left.

"That mare is wise beyond her years." he thought. "This 'Sunset Shimmer' could be our savior..."

Then he frowned and his admiration became suspicion.

"Or the harbinger of our destruction." thought Quartz. "Her intentions may seem to be for the greater good, but I'm certain that she plans something that will endanger us all. Something must be done about her. But I wouldn't dare attempt to kill her. That enchantress could probably anticipate an attack, especially when she is so close to her companions."

In the Las Pegasus Correctional Facility, Lionel Summerset was sitting in his cell, calmly drinking his coffee while waiting for his sentence to expire. If only he knew where his attorney was...

"Mr. Summerset." said the jailor. "You have a visitor."

Lionel simply continued drinking his coffee.

"Mr. Summerset?" the jailor said.

Lionel finished his mug of coffee and using the sleeve of his light orange-and-black jumpsuit wiped hot brown droplets off of his beard.

"I heard you, Carl." said Lionel. "And who should I expect at this late hour?"

The door opened, and a trio of stallions in trench overcoats entered the cell block. A fourth, an earth pony, entered the room after them.

"Well, hello." said Lionel, in a businessman-like manner. "What can I do for you four gentlecolts?"

"Hello, Lionel." said the earth pony, once the jailor left. "My name is Underhill Longshanks, Councilman of the Neo-Templars, sent on behalf of Minister Jubilee. We have important matters to discuss. And you better not share anything said here with anyone else, or there will be trouble."

"You know that I don't share the secrets of those I'm associated with." said Summerset. "Now really, are you here for any reason other than to spite me?"

"Yes, actually." said Longshanks. "Our garrison at Fort Echidna was sent into disarray just a couple of days ago. And we know that your airship was involved in some way."

"Really? The Summerstar?" said Lionel. "Well, it certainly couldn't have been me, since I've been locked in here for nearly a month."

"Yes, we already ruled you out." said Councilman Longshanks. "But our superiors want to know...why the Summerstar was involved in the dissolution of one of our garrisons?!"

"I don't know, since I've been incarcerated for weeks now." said Lionel. "I would just assume some of the locals had a little too much apple cider and decided to take my prized zeppelin for a joyride. Really, I'm all for giving to charity, but the least these ponies could do is send me a 'Thank You' card."

"Listen, Summerset." hissed Underhill Longshanks. "If you know anything about who took your blimp or zeppelin or whatever you wanna call it, you better spit it out, or you'll be spitting out other stuff than just saliva next time we meet. Capische?!"

"You can't threaten me here, and you know it." said Lionel. "And I would certainly appreciate it if we didn't have to shout at each other. We're not back in my homeland, you know, so let's act civilized, shall we?"

"Funny you should mention your homeland." said the Councilman. "Our scouts spotted the Summerstar flying eastwards...towards Saddle Arabia."

"Really?" said Lionel, who only seemed mildly interested. "I can scarcely imagine why anyone would bother flying all the way there. "Now would I care to know why either; I haven't paid much attention to what happens there in thirteen years, and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon."

"And you don't even care if you never see your airship again?" asked Longshanks.

"Hardly." said Lionel Summerset. "I could commission a dozen more just like it to be made if I wanted to."

"You know, I think you might be onto something, Lionel."

"My affairs are strictly independent." said Lionel, in a neutral, business-like tone. "Even when I'm facing conviction, I'm in no hurry to openly consort with Atheistic secessionists like yourselves. No offense intended, mind you; I admire the ambitions of the Neo-Templars all the same."

"You're a shrewd one, Summerset." said Longshanks. "But I think we have all the information we'll ever get out of you...for now."

"So will we depart on pleasant terms..." Lionel wondered aloud, narrowing his eyes. "Or should I check later to make sure there isn't somepony nearby waiting to spill my guts all over my bed while I sleep?"

"I could think of a few templars that would love to do that..." said the Councilman. "But even the Prime Minister himself would agree that you're more valuable alive than dead. I'm sure we'll meet again, even if you're unlikely enough to find yourself on death row."

"Then farewell." said Lionel, nodding slowly.

The four templars left the prison corridor. As soon as they were gone, Lionel Summerset curved his mouth into a smile. He truthfully could figure out who took the Summerstar from him, but he decided it would be more interesting to make the templars figure such matters out themselves.

"Well played, Sunset Shimmer." he mused, chuckling a little. "Well played. I don't know what that golden waif is planning, but if she has the templars after her, then she must be either very unlucky, a suicidal fool...or one of the craftiest ponies I ever met. Or perhaps all three, considering her lineage. Either way, I'm sure the aftermath will make for a very amusing read."

Outside, Councilman Underhill Longshanks was talking to his three companions as soon as they were out of the facility, and thus out of earshot of any potential eavesdroppers.

"You know what to do." he said. "Send word to the Ministry. Our boys out East will want to know what to look for. I have some investigating of my own to do up North. Now get going."

The three stallions opened up their overcoats, revealing their studded leather body armor, as well as their wings. They all took off in different directions, while Longshanks himself went down the street alone to the docks.

Reflecting on Family History, Part 1

Sunset Shimmer and the others were all led to a parlor where they could recuperate from their long trek through the desert. While they were there, Crimson Blade decided to talk to his grandchildren.

"So, how come we never met you until just a couple days ago?" Radiant asked, curiously.

"Because there was a misunderstanding, and I was led to believe that you two, along with your parents, were killed by the Changelings that attacked your home." said Crimson Blade, solemnly. "I was so distraught when I found out about this that I wanted to have revenge on their whole species. But when I approached Princess Celestia in Canterlot about this, she refused to allow me to lead a squad of royal guards to hunt them down. Then I..."

He paused uncomfortably.

"Spoke out against her, and she tried to send me away from Canterlot Castle." said Crimson. "But then I lost my temper and assaulted the two guards that were ordered to escort me out, and injured them along with four others that were sent to arrest me for attacking the first two. It took half the castle's garrison to finally restrain me. I wound up serving eight years in the very guard station I once commanded."

"Wow." said Radiant. "Sounds pretty intense, gramps."

"But when did you join the Neo-Templars?" Sunset inquired. "And for that matter, why?"

"Because between the apparent loss of my only daughter and her husband and children, and being incarcerated for such a long time, I had completely lost faith in Princess Celestia." said Crimson. "So after I was released from prison, the first thing I did was seek out the templars, since I believed they were the only ones that could truly understand my situation. I started over from scratch, rising through the ranks like any other soldier in any other army. Eventually, I was assigned to the Auxiliary division of the templars, which took over the ruins of Fort Echidna and came to be commanded by Zanzibar Firewing, who was one of my superior officers when I was still a royal guard."

"Really, how did working with those maniacs seem like a good idea?" asked Sunset,

"Well, the templars aren't all like the ones that you and your friends and family encountered at the fort." said Crimson. "In fact, the majority of them are remarkably civilized and well-disciplined, especially for a group that's vowed to remain independent of Equestria's alicorn-ruled society. They are, however, even more dangerous and competent than the chaotic and criminally insane Auxiliaries."

"But don't you know where the Neo-Templars have their strongholds?" asked Sunset. "I mean, besides Fort Echidna?"

"Not too many, but I do know they aren't just a military force." said Crimson. "They are actually led by a politically-oriented civilian hierarchy called 'the Neo-Ministry for Equine Divergence', or 'NOMED' for short."

"Huh, when you spell that backwards..." said Sunset.

"Yes, I'm aware of it." said Crimson. "But the NOMED acronym is rarely used amongst our members. We mostly prefer to simply call it 'The Ministry'."

"So who's in charge of this...Neo-Ministry?" asked Sunset.

"I don't know for sure." said Crimson. "But I know its hierarchy is commanded by a Prime Minister, who is effectively the commander-in-chief of all Neo-Templars, military and civilian. Then there are five lesser Ministers, who are pretty much fit the role of mayor or governor of a templar-controlled region. There are also three council members attached to each of the lesser ministers, and play the same role to the Ministers as the Ministers play for the Prime Minister, but on a smaller scale. The Auxiliary divisions, however, aren't commanded by any of the political leaders, but to military officers that answer to the council members. Zanzibar Firewing answered to some Councilwoman in Dodge Junction before she was elected Minister of that area."

"Councilwoman?" repeated Sunset. "Don't you mean Councilmare?"

"Well, as you and Radiant no doubt saw, we--I mean, they--employ more than just ponyfolk into their ranks." said Crimson. "Along the lines, someone in the Ministry decided to make the ranks seem more politically-correct when we started electing non-equines as politicians."

"Wait, did you say Dodge Junction?" asked Radiant. "That town's run by the templars?"

"Yes." said Crimson. "I've never been there myself, but they're apparently the only templar-controlled settlement in all of Equestria willing to conduct any kind of business with the princesses' citizens. But because of this, they have to scrounge up their own supplies and material since the other templars won't send any of their own to them. They don't even have much in terms of weapons and armor, so they'd had to go on without either, except in cases of emergency. This did, however, make it easier for them to conceal the fact that they're templar citizens."

"And Princess Celestia's okay with all this?" asked Radiant.

"Well, the citizens of Dodge Junction are certainly very friends with Celestia's subjects, and even let them have jobs and own homes there." said Crimson. "In fact, I heard that some find it hard to tell the citizens that are templars apart from the ones that are Royalists--which is what templars call the alicorns' subjects and other loyalists."

Crimson sighed.

"But...but I'd rather not say anything more about the templars." said Crimson.

"It's okay, grandpa." said Sunset.

"So why don't you tell us about something else?" asked Radiant Dawn. "Maybe what our mom was like when she was younger."

Crimson sighed happily.

"She started out innocently enough." said Crimson. "She was a very shy but very adorable filly that blossomed into a strong, beautiful mare. In fact, she took more after me than I ever could've imagined."

Scarlet Blaze approached them.

"My father wanted me to be a priestess at the Grand Synagogue of Baltimare." she said to her children, joining in on the conversation. "In fact, I was training to become one when I met the stallion that would be my husband."

Golden Sun joined them.

"Excuse me, if I may..." he said politely. "But apparently Scarlet here was apparently more interested in becoming a royal guard than a priestess."

"I was going to get to that, dear." Scarlet said to her husband.

"Sorry, sweetie." said Golden Sun. "Please continue."

"Yes, but I didn't just resign like that." said Scarlet. "Let's say I decided to have a little fun with it."

TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO...

Golden Sun and Scarlet Blaze stood together at the Grand Synagogue's main altar. Golden Sun was wearing a bluish-black suit while Scarlet Blaze was wearing the green-and-gold hooded dress-robes traditionally worn by the priestesses of the synagogue. The doors swung open and the rabbi stomped in angrily.

"What do you think you're doing, Sister Scarlet?!" he growled.

"Getting married, you old windbag!" Scarlet said. "I'm madly in love with this stallion, and I'm not going to make him mine!"

"Priestesses can't be married, Scarlet!" said the rabbi.

"No, but priestesses can marry a couple." said Golden Sun. "It just happens that Scarlet is both the priestess and the bride."

Scarlet looked down at him.

"What do you say, professor?" she said, slyly.

"Actually, Scarlet..." Golden Sun stammered. "This is actually a very bad mistake that I'm gonna regret--."

"Regret this, honey."

Scarlet hastily bent her cowled head down and licked Golden Sun's lips. Golden Sun licked Scarlet's own lips, and their tongues locked together, slipping into each other's mouths. As blasphemous as the context seemed, it seemed like nothing short of bliss to the newly-wed couple. As soon as they stopped, the rabbi scoffed.

"There." said Scarlet, with a deranged stare in her eyes. "Now you're all mine, you wonderful little pony."

She seized Golden Sun by the torso, stood upright, and she smashed a nearby bottle laying on the floor with her hoof. Golden Sun pretended that he was trying to squirm away.

"That's enough, Scarlet!" the rabbi shouted. "It's bad enough that you forced this stallion to marry you, but now you're making a mockery of the ritual. Release him and get out of here, before I call the guards!"

"Scarlet, please." said Golden Sun. "Would you just cool it? We're married now, that's all that matters. Don't make yourself a criminal!"

"As far as I'm concerned, dear: You're only a criminal if you get caught." said Scarlet. "Now come along, so we can leave."

Scarlet's horn glowed, and Golden Sun found himself being levitated on the back of his wife. He found himself clinging to Scarlet's neck as the tall mare galloped down the aisle and jumped clear over the rabbi, and shattered the glass front doors as she sped through them.

"You know, your father's going to be very angry when he finds out about this." Golden Sun panted as he climbed off, as soon as Scarlet stopped at Baltimare's train depot.

"I know, isn't it great?" Scarlet laughed, as she dropped her hood back and let her flame-red mane blow in the wind. "I don't plan on sticking around this place, anyway. I wanna go live with you now, husband. At your place in Vanhoover."

"Um...okay." said Golden Sun. "But...I've still got a job here! I'm a professor, after all!"

"Well, bring me to your home and come back here." said Scarlet.

"Ah...okay, Scarlet." said Golden Sun. "But I'd appreciate it if you kept a cool head from now on. Perhaps you could stay at my home near Vanhoover."

Scarlet rolled her eyes like a bored adolescent.

"I'll just tell everypony that I was accosted by a...gorgeous rogue."

Scarlet started to laugh.

"A gorgeous rogue whose wiles were no match for the cleverness of Professor Sun." she said, airily.

Scarlet batted her eyes, as she reared her hood over her head once more, hiding her red mane from view.

"You silly little stallion." Scarlet nuzzled against him. "Are you sure you don't just wanna get rid of me?"

Scarlet's was beginning to bend over him, in such a way that his muzzle would be covered by the flaps of Scarlet's cowl.

"Please." said Golden Sun, quickly. "I'm worried about you, and about our child..."

"Oh, don't worry." said Scarlet. "The little tyke's not even born yet. But I guess I could take it easy...until it's out of my system."

She put a hoof to her belly, which was slightly bulging and pulsating underneath her outfit.

"Golden Sun, you may be a smart stallion, but not even you could understand how lucky you are to have me for a wife." said Scarlet, her lips tucked into a grin. "And you're worth everything that's happened."

PRESENT DAY...

"And just eight months later, Radiant Dawn was born." Scarlet finished her story, turning to her son. "Yeah, I was actually close to two months pregnant with you when I married your father. So what that old windbag said about my children not being born with that Blessing or whatever really didn't mean a thing."

Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, and Crimson Blade all looked at Scarlet with shocked expressions on their faces. totally lost for words.

Reflecting on Family History, Part 2

Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, and Crimson Blade all took a moment to reflect on what Scarlet Blaze told them. Crimson Blade sighed dismissively, Radiant whistled awkwardly, while Sunset Shimmer said:

"Well..." she fumbled. "That's...an interesting story. Hang on, who's Jehooveh?"

Crimson Blade looked at his granddaughter.

"Goodness, what have my daughter and her husband been teaching you and Radiant?" he questioned.

Sunset looked at him.

"Jehooveh is one of the most widely celebrated and worshiped deities in Saddle Arabia." said Felix Summerset, who approached them after talking to Trixie and Teddy. "There are many chapels, synagogues, and cathedrals devoted to him through the land, with the largest being the Supreme Cathedral of Mareusalem."

"Mareusalem, of course, being the place where our ancestors--" Scarlet said, referring to herself, her children, and her father. "--came from. I read about Mareusalem a lot when I was training to become a priestess. And having Golden Sun for a boyfriend pretty much gave me access to every book on Saddle Arabian culture that the University of Baltimare had to offer, which certainly helped me a lot with actually becoming a priestess."

Golden Sun nodded, blushing while his eyes were closed.

"You know, I always wondered what you used to do, mom." said Radiant. "I mean, besides being our mom, and dad's wife. I knew dad was a scholar, but I didn't you think you, our mom, would be a mare of the cloth."

"A mare of the cloth whose heavy-hooved attitude made her unfit to ever again be a speaker for the gods." frowned Scarlet, who shook her head. "I haven't even prayed to them since the day I resigned from the synagogue."

She bowed her head shamefully, but didn't cry.

"Have you ever thought about trying again, mom?" asked Sunset.

"I sometimes thought about repenting for my behavior, but I don't think a simple apology would make up for the way I abandoned my spiritual duties. Not to mention I did it all for a stallion I loved. If I were to ever be a priestess again, I would be one in name only."

"But I'm sure it's not too late, mom." said Sunset. "I mean, if I was able to come back to Equestria after running out on Princess Celestia, I don't see why you can't somehow redeem yourself in the eyes of this...Jehooveh. Seeing as you're going to help save Mareusalem like the rest of us, maybe that's a sign that there's hope of starting over."

Scarlet smiled.

"I think you're right, sweetie." said Scarlet. "You're such a wise young mare, almost a priestess yourself."

Sunset blushed.

"Well, I wouldn't consider myself..." she fumbled again.

"But you still made a good point, Sunset." said Golden Sun. "It's never too late to start over. Your mother's been loyal to me, not only as my wife and bodyguard, but also as my friend. I have full confidence that she can redeem herself as a priestess as you have as Princess Celestia's student."

"Thanks, dear." said Scarlet, putting one of her long legs around her husband's torso. "I'm so glad that I chose to marry you. Very well; a pilgrim of Jehooveh, I shall be."

"That's a very mature and bold thing to say, daughter." said Crimson, smiling a little. "I have faith in you."

Scarlet Blaze, Golden Sun, and Crimson Blade then looked at Radiant Dawn and Sunset Shimmer.

"So would you care to tell us what life was like at Daystar Manor without any of us to watch over you?" asked Golden Sun.

Radiant and Sunset both frowned and looked at each other awkwardly.

"Well, let's say that we didn't see things eye-to-eye most of the time." said Radiant.

"Yeah, I was pretty much distraught about you two disappearing." Sunset said to her parents. "And to say the least, I developed some weird ways of trying to cope with it. For example..."

APPROX. THIRTEEN YEARS AGO...

"Sunny, are ya hungry at all?" asked the ten-year-old Radiant Dawn, knocking on the door to Sunset's bedroom.

"Go away, Red." shouted the seven-year-old Sunset Shimmer. "Just let me read these books in peace."

Radiant telekinetically opened the door, and went inside. Sunset was sitting on her hind-legs, her back to the door. Her horn was glowing and a heavy tome was opened in mid-air in front of her. She was telekinetically skimming through its pages like they were a cheap magazine.

"C'mon, li'l sis." said Radiant. "Don't you wanna come out and play with me like we used to?"

"When we used to do it, mom and dad were still around." said Sunset, bitterly. "But they're not anymore. And guess what, big brother? Playing again won't make them come back!"

"I just thought you and I could just take it easy, ya know?" asked Radiant. "Instead of locking yourself up in some dark room all the time, why not have a little fun?"

"You can have fun if you want, but I'm going to need to learn all that I can from daddy's books if I'm going be able to do anything when I grow up!"

"Sunny, I know I'm not mom or dad..." said Radiant, cautiously.

"Then stop pretending to be!" Sunset suddenly snapped, turning around. "You know what, big brother? I don't think I need you anyway! You and me both know I'm way smarter than you will ever be. And I could probably take care of myself without your help. I wouldn't feel any less safe here by myself than I would with you bugging me around the clock about something I could take care of alone!"

Radiant started to sniffle.

"I know, Sunny." he said, his voice shaky. "Still, ya can't blame me for caring for--"

"Will you just shut up and go away, Red?!" said Sunset. "If you really cared about me, you'd let me do what I want to do. And you know what that is? Reading daddy's books without any stupid distractions! And if you're gonna cry about it, why don't you do it someplace where I won't hear you?!"

Radiant didn't say anything. But his face tightened from the emotional stress this argument was having on him. He felt a strange sensation in his horn, presumably a side-effect of the stress.

"Okay, Sunny." said Radiant. "But before I go, I wanted to give you your birthday present."

He levitated a package he had hidden around the corner of the door outside the room.

"Happy Birthday, little sis." he said.

Sunset Shimmer looked at it with skepticism, but went over to open it anyway. Inside was a six-pack of strawberry lemonade bottles.

"I knew they were your favorite, so I bought some bottles for you to drink while you read dad's books." he said, kindly. "Took me forever to find the store in town where they sold them, and I had to beat up this earth pony colt that had some funny accent, but I did get them."

Sunset Shimmer took a bottle, and guzzled the whole thing down in front of Radiant.

"You went all the way into town just to get this to me?" asked Sunset, dully.

Radiant nodded nervously.

"Okay, Red." said Sunset.

She went over and hugged her brother, with a little smile.

"I'll go play with you." she said. "But only for a little while, okay?"

"That's all I wanted to hear, Sunny." said Radiant.

PRESENT DAY...

The whole time, Sunset and Radiant's parents and grandfather just stood there silently as Sunset continued.

"And the funny thing is..." Sunset scratched her head. "The way I acted that time was actually very mild compared to some of the other days."

"Yeah." said Radiant. "One time, she kicked me out of the mansion and put a magical lock on all the doors and windows. It wasn't until another stallion came by that I was able to get back inside. Only took a week to do it."

"Another stallion?" asked Scarlet. "What other stallion?"

"I dunno." said Radiant. "I think his name was Mickey or Mitch or something. He was a pretty funny guy, actually. I even wanted him to adopt me and Sunset."

"Why didn't he?" asked Golden Sun.

"Um...he had a disagreement with Sunset about something, and she booted him out just an hour after we got inside."

"He was ripping pages out of one of dad's books!" said Sunset. "What did you expect me to do? And even when I kicked him out, he still managed to run off with a couple of 'em."

"Which book would that be?" asked Golden Sun.

"I don't know, I couldn't read the title; it was in some weird language." said Sunset.

"Either way, you two did a good job protecting the household in our long absence." said Scarlet. "But sweetie, why did you lock Radiant outside in the first place?"

"Actually, I kinda forgot." said Sunset.

"Yeah, so do I." said Radiant. "I guess it was so long ago that we forgot why it happened."

"So, you two literally had nopony to watch over you two in those fifteen or so years?" asked Crimson.

"We didn't really know too many other ponies that could take us in, and anyone we could think was either too far away or not interested in adoption. And there was no way we were going to some orphanage." said Radiant.

"By the way, Red." said Sunset. "Since we're on the subject...just what were things like at Daystar Manor after you were...you know. Sent away from Canterlot."

"Really, really depressing." frowned Radiant. "Not a day went by that I didn't think of you, or about the rest of the family. I pretty much spent my time either pacing around the mansion or skulking around Vanhoover until I would get bored and start guzzling down apple cider."

"I don't know how anyone could stand to drink the stuff, to be honest." said Sunset. "The kind they brew in Vanhoover always tasted like reindeer saliva."

"Yeah, but at least it makes you forget the troubles you've had on your mind..." said Radiant. "At least until the aftertaste finally leaves your mouth."

"You at least had Nose Nip and Frosty to keep you company, son." said Scarlet.

"Yeah...and Gilda." said Radiant, hesitantly.

TWO YEARS EARLIER...

Radiant Dawn trotted sourly along the streets of Vanhoover to the Silver Saddle, a pub located near the train depot. Nose Nip and Frosty apparently went on a cider run last month and recommended it to him as the first place to go now that he was of legal age. He was approaching the door, when a particularly fat earth pony was sent flying out of the front door. He was rolling on the ground until he bumped into Radiant's front legs.

A female gryphon with a brown body and white-feathered head with featers that had a purplish tint along the tips rushed out, screeching furiously at the earth pony.

"If you do that again, Holloway, I swear that I'll turn you into glue!" the gryphon shouted.

Holloway scrambled back up and bolted away, collapsing from his own weight repeatedly as he did so.

"Stupid fat creep!" the gryphon shouted after him, before turning to Radiant. "And what're you looking at? Keep walking."

"Do I look I care?" Radiant Dawn muttered angrily.

The gryphon looked at the intensity in Radiant's eyes; she could tell he was serious, and the fact that he was nearly twice her size made her uneasy.

"Oh, I'm..." said the gryphon, shifting in place. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad. Name's Gilda, and--"

Radiant just ignored her and went into the bar. Gilda turned her head in his direction as he went to his booth in the pub, scowling about something. There was something about him that seemed....cool. Maybe it was his wild red-and-orange mane, or his tall, lean physique which seemed out of place for most of the local ponies. Or maybe it was his rugged, intense-looking face.

Gilda waited for Radiant to finish his cider, and then went over to his booth, and cleared her throat.

"So how ya doin', handsome?" she said to him.

Radiant sighed.

"I'm okay...I guess." said Radiant. "I'm just going through some tough times right now."

"Me, too." said Gilda. "I was totally betrayed by my best friend just last week. She turned out to be such a lame-o."

"So what was that all about, with that Holloway guy?" asked Radiant.

"Uh...I'd rather not talk about it." said Gilda. "I caught him trying to...do something humiliating to the new barmaid."

"Really, there's a new barmaid?" asked Radiant. "Who?"

"Me." said Gilda, growling slightly as she answered. "I was short on pocket-money, so I thought I'd do some work. I wanted to be the bouncer, but the bartender wouldn't allow it."

"Well, with a barmaid like you, who's gonna need one?" asked Radiant, snidely.

Gilda laughed.

"you know, you're pretty cool for a unicorn." said Gilda. "I tell ya what, how about you and stick together for a while."

"Stick together?" asked Radiant.

"Sure, unless you're already seeing someone." said Gilda.

"Nah..." Radiant said. "I've been a little pre-occupied by my own problems to look for marefriends."

"Well, how would you like to have a gryphon-friend?" asked Gilda. "That is, a lady-friend that happens to be a gryphon."

"It wouldn't make much of a difference to me." said Radiant, tilting his head down.

He was expecting Gilda to take this as rejection, but instead...

"That's cool." she said. "I think you and I will be the most awesome pair in this whole town!"

She flew up next to Radiant, and put a claw around his chest, and started nuzzling against him.

"Actually, I meant--" Radiant said, before...

Gilda start emitting a noise like motor from her nostrils.

"Are you purring?" Radiant said, confused.

"Umm..." Gilda paused and pushed herself away, intensely saying: "Look, if you tell anyone I just did that, I'll claw your eyes out, okay?"

"Hey, I don't plan on it, okay?" said Radiant, reassuringly. "I don't care what noise you make, and I guess if you're this serious about it, I guess I'd might as well let you...stick with me."

Gilda continued nuzzling against Radiant, who started to drink glasses of stronger cider. After a few minutes (and half a dozen pints of hard cider), the barkeep finally saw what was taking his barmaid so long.

"Gilda, there you are!" he said. "I have tables on the other end of the room that need cleaning! Stop heckling the patrons and do what I pay you to do!"

Gilda quickly stopped nuzzling, and sped off to go back to work. Radiant, dazed from the cider he drank, found himself staring ravenously at Gilda.

"You know, maybe dating a gryphon won't be so bad." he thought.

PRESENT DAY...

"Believe me." Radiant Dawn frowned. "Dating a gryphon was a bad idea. Probably one of the biggest waste of time I ever had in Vanhoover. Especially since she ditched and broke up with me less then a week later."

"Why? What happened, son?" asked Golden Sun.

"I'd...rather not talk about it." said Radiant. "It's an uncomfortable moment for me."

"Don't feel bad about it, son." said Scarlet, "You were clearly going through an experimental phase. We all go through one at one point in our lives. In fact, when I was nineteen, I was only attracted to zebras."

"Well, that's an...interesting thing to share, mom." said Sunset, believing it was an awkward thing to bring up.

The door to the room opened up, and one of the attendants came inside.

"Lord Sandstorm is expecting you all now." he said. "The dinner banquet is prepared."

"Great, I'm starving!" Teddy said, relieved as he and the others started to leave the room.

"Sunset, I've heard what you were all talking about." Trixie Lulamoon whispered. "I know it's ironic coming from me, but I must say: You've got to have the craziest..."

"Or the most awesome family ever." Lightning Dust cut in.

Sunset just blushed and said nothing.

The Call of the Gods, Part 1

Princess Luna sat atop the ruins of Fort Echidna, alone under the night sky. She looked eastwards, thinking about her student once again. She couldn't help but feel uneasy about what awaited Sunset Shimmer in Saddle Arabia, even if King Nelphyn had nothing to do with it.

"Princess, I have news for you!" said a night guard, flying up to her.

"And what it is?" said Luna, turning to the guard.

The guard spontaneously burst into green flames, revealing the form of Lord Umbriel.

"You need someone to talk to." he finished, slowly approaching Luna as he did so.

"Ahh...what do you want, Umbriel?" asked Luna, wearisome. "I am hardly in any mood for this right now."

"I know, Luna." said Umbriel. "That's why I just want to talk with you. Nothing nefarious, just a nice, civilized conversation between the two of us."

"Fine, I shall give you ten minutes." said Luna, blandly. "After that, I want you to get out of my sight."

"Oh, Luna." said Umbriel. "Just because the night is cold doesn't mean you have to be, too."

"There is nothing pleasant I would rather say to you right now." said Luna.

"I'm sure you can't." said Umbriel. "Not when you're too busy worrying about your precious student."

Luna narrowed her eyes.

"And what about Sunset Shimmer?" asked Luna. "Why does she matter to you so much?"

"I would like to ask you the same question." said Umbriel.

"I have my reasons, Umbriel, and they're something a Changeling like you could never understand." said Luna.

"Couldn't I?" asked Umbriel, frowning slightly. "If I couldn't understand compassion or concern, would I be as loyal to my sister as I am? Or even be here having this concersation with you?"

"You show concern for me?" asked Luna, flatly. "You try to maim or kill my student and her friends, and then try to dispose of me yourself, and yet you still claim to show concern for me?"

"And why wouldn't I?" asked Umbriel. "Didn't I say you were my favorite of the alicorn princesses?"

"You did, yes." said Luna.

"Well, whatever you might think, what I said couldn't be any closer to the truth." said Umbriel, approaching Luna even more closely. "And that's because...it is the truth. You see, I never intended to try killing you at all. I wanted you to pay as much attention to me as possible and always think of me."

"Why?" asked Luna.

"Because I think the same of you." said Umbriel. "I respect you as a worthy opponent, and since we were clearly at a stalemate during out little fight back in Canterlot, I'm confident that you can think the same of me."

"Yes, I will certainly admit." said Luna. "You fought very well against me, Umbriel."

"And of course, I'm also grateful that you helped save my son and daughter from this place." said Umbriel, looking down. "If I didn't respect you before, I certainly like you now."

Luna looked at him, stone-faced.

"I don't care what you think of me, Umbriel." she said. "Especially not after what you have done."

"So you won't object if I said you were extraordinarily beautiful?" asked Umbriel, smiling again.

Princess Luna blushed.

"Really?" she began softly, because clearing her throat and telekinetically lifting the hood of her cloak and slipping it on her head to hide the fact that she was blushing. "I mean, do you really expect me to believe your words, Umbriel?"

"You don't have to believe them Luna." said Umbriel, coolly. "But they're true."

Umbriel sat beside Luna, and put one of his strong legs around her body, pulling her against his side. Her hooded face had an amusingly surprised expression as she found herself in Umbriel's grip.

"Don't worry, Luna." said Umbriel, calmly. "I won't hurt you--not that you need to be afraid of me or anything. Just take it easy, and stop worrying about your student so much. Just enjoy the night--your night--for once."

Luna didn't want to admit it, but Umbriel had a point.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but thank you." she said.

"My pleasure, really." said Umbriel. "Well, it's time for me to go. I have an empire to run and two kids and a sister to look after."

"Before you go, Umbriel..." Luna said quickly. "What did you mean when you said you had another sister?"

"Oh, yes." Umbriel said softly. "I was referring to Danauria. She was my twin sister. But we weren't identical."

"What happened to her?" asked Luna.

"I will tell you only when I'm ready to do so." said Umbriel.

"Fair enough." said Luna. "Is there anything else you do want to talk about?"

"Ah...not too much." said Umbriel. "Just a family I watch over. My sister, my uncle, my two children..."

"Speaking of which, I spoke with Prince Naurius before you all left this place, just the other day." said Luna. "A polite little child, considering who his father is."

"Ah, my lovable little son." Umbriel muttered. "Always searching for the perfect female influence in his life."

"Female influence?" repeated Luna, curiously.

"Yes, his mother passed away shortly after he was born." said Umbriel, shaking his head slowly. "He didn't really get to know her for long."

"And so he was left with his sister..." said Luna.

"Yes." said Lord Umbriel. "Dana has been very ambitious, resourceful, and even unscrupulous. But has no maternal instincts whatsoever."

Luna slipped her hood back, so that her aetherial mane would once again blow freely in the night air.

"I've seen a lot of myself in your son." said Luna. "He reminds me so much of myself at a young age, come to think of it. But at least my sister never mistreated me. I wish there was something I could do about his...problems. But since you're his parent, Umbriel, I expect you to be the one that handles it. My responsibilities are with my citizens and subjects. I expect you to be the same with your own."

"Of course, princess." said Umbriel. "But if I could make one last suggestion."

"What?"

"If you aren't...too busy later--"

"No."

"Very well. Ciao!"

Umbriel flew up into the night sky, with Princess Luna looking up at him.

"Nelphyn, are you perhaps aware that a group of adventurers from Equestria has landed on Saddle Arabian soil?" boomed the voice of Saegmuntitus in King Nelphyn's mind.

"Adventurers do not concern me, master." said King Nelphyn, coolly. "I have this entire nation to reclaim before I can worry about a few...tourists."

"Then it should interest you to know...Sunset Shimmer leads them." said the Ram King. "I have had my eye on her for sometime now, and I do believe she may be an obstruction in your...goals."

"Magic or not, I am more powerful now than any unicorn that exists today." said Nelphyn. "Besides, I doubt that Sunset Shimmer will even reach Mareusalem alive, given the precautions I've placed throughout the land. The creatures and enchantments I've stirred up will ensure that even a full invasion force from Equestria will provide too much of a problem for me. Listen...with all due respect, master. If you see a flaw in my strategies, then by all means, correct them in whatever way you see fit. Do not mistake this as a plea for help, I would simply like you to demonstrate your handiwork to me to ensure I don't completely...tune you out."

The deep voice of Saegmuntitus the Ram King laughed.

"Very well. I may be losing my patience with you, but I'm willing to humor one as outspoken as yourself."

Later that day, Sunset and the others were invited to the dining chamber of the palace for an early dinner. They were all given special meals consisting of various fruits and vegetables imported from the jungles and rainforests.

"I do hope you're enjoying the food." said Quartz Sandstorm.

"It's some great stuff!" said Teddy through a full mouth.

"You've got some great stuff here, Quartz." said Lightning Dust. "If I were a food critic, I'd give this stuff an A."

"I am pleased to hear you like it." said Quartz Sandstorm. "Our city has always been known for its hospitality."

"Even if that hospitality has lessened of late." Felix muttered under his breath.

Sunset decided to tell Quartz about her own adventures in Equestria and the human world, hoping that it would inspire Quartz to change his mind.

"You are a good storyteller, Miss Sunset Shimmer." said Sandstorm. "Your adventures are almost on par with the great stories I was told in my youth. My own life seems particularly drab by comparison."

"Well, I'm glad you liked them." said Sunset.

"I think you and your friends should stay here in my city." said Sandstorm. "I mean, my city has much to offer for its citizens, no matter what kind of career they choose. In fact, I could even get your brother and grandfather both positions in my city guard."

"That's a very nice offer, Lord Sandstorm..." said Sunset. "But we kind of have an important mission of our own. Plus, things didn't go too well for me the last time I tried staying somewhere that wasn't in Equestria. I mean if you'd remember how I told you about--"

"Oh, yes." said Quartz quickly. "I apologize, that must have been a truly disorienting experience for you."

"So, uh...Quartz." Radiant Dawn said to Lord Sandstorm. "Can ya point us in the direction of the next city?"

"Oh, of course." said Quartz, brandishing a map of Saddle Arabia. "Here, let me mark the following locations on this map, which I shall give to you as a sign of good will."

Once he marked the locations. Sunset smiled.

"Thanks." said Sunset. "It's an honor to be in the company of such a fine ruler, even if we did start off on the wrong hoof."

"And I am glad to have met a fine lady such as yourself." said Quartz. "May Akriddius shine upon you."

"Akkridius?" repeated Sunset.

"Yes, the great star of the day. The Sun is a very important icon of worship in our land."

"Yeah, I'm sure Princess Celestia would love to hear that." said Sunset.

"Then praise Celestia as well." smiled Quartz. "She trained a fine student."

"Maybe she did." said Sunset, muttering quietly. "But it probably wasn't me."

"My dearest guest, whose fair face and wonderful tales have illuminated my heart and soul in this time of fear and uncertainty, I wish you the best of luck on whatever you hope to accomplish out there." said Quartz Sandstorm, raising a gilded cup. "I salute you."

"So, does this mean you'll consider sending help to the paladins?" asked Sunset.

"Umm...no." said Sandstorm blankly. "I'm going to need all my guards here to keep the peace in my city. I have many citizens to govern and too much city to watch over. And during this crisis, I can't afford to let my guards be spread so thin. You must understand."

"Don't worry, we kinda do." smiled Sunset.

The large group of cultists that gathered around the golden idol of Jarukia formed a thick, solemn semi-circle as their leader prayed.

"O Jarukia, what is the word you bring to your humble children?" said the cult leader.

Suddenly, the eyes of the idol began to glow with an ominous light, and a deep voice thundered from its inanimate mouth.

"The lord Jarukia hears and heeds you, my child." said the voice. "Your lord demands a higher tribute. You shall surrender to Jarukia the firstborn of the last generation of a family whose history stems from the distant past of your land."

"What purpose shall this firstborn serve, O lord?" asked the cult leader.

"His soul must be cleansed to avenge his bloodline's infidelity." said Jarukia's voice. "An infidelity that exists only to mock what the lord Jarukia commands and controls. Only when this sacrifice is made can there truly be peace in the Sacred Land."

"Where is this firstborn now?" asked the cult leader.

"He is in this land, but a strange magic blinds even my eyes from knowing where he is. I know, though, that his name is..."

Suddenly, a different, slightly deeper voice emerged from the idol, distorting the words the original was going to say, uttering in its place two words:

"Radiant Dawn."

A strange trance befell the cultists, all having a uniform blank stare.

"Find him, and offer him to me." said the new voice. "Your god demands tribute. Now seek him and bring the infidel here so that the ritual may begin."

"We hear and obey, O lord!" they all said in unison.

The Call of the Gods, Part 2

Back at the colony of New Mustangia, the Summerstar was finally restored to pristine condition and was fit to be airborne. Nose Nip, Frosty, Sunflower, and Maud Pie were having lunch in the Summerstar's lounge, when Hotrod Sterling entered the room.

"Howdy, compadres!" he said to them, heartily. "Mind if I drop by for a spell?"

"Go ahead, sir." said Nose Nip.

Sterling joined the four for lunch, eating even more than the others.

"So, now that---I say!--now that this airship of yours is fixed, what're y'all gonna be doin' next?" Sterling asked, his mouth full.

"Finding this Bahaggara place, and then picking up the rest of our friends." Nose Nip answered.

"Of course, o' course!" Hotrod Sterling chuckled. "Except, well...the strangest thing just came up earlier today. A work-buddy of mine from back West just came into my office, and would y'all believe what he went and told me?"

"What?" asked Maud Pie.

"He told me--I say!--he told me...that some rich fella in Las Pegasus had his blimp or whatever it is stolen, and that this blimp was supposed to be headed our East our way! Now ain't that the darndest thing? And apparently, some of my buddies got stuff stolen from 'em, too?"

"Who's them?" asked Nose Nip, nervously.

"Yeah, who?" added Frosty, equally nervous.

"Well, the folks that swiped the rich guy's blimp!" said Sterling.

"And would ya happen ta know who they would be?" asked Frosty.

"Well, I sure don't know that part." Sterling chuckled, heartily. "But y'all wouldn't mind too much if I asked ya: Just where did y'all get yer hooves on this fancy-pants airship we all are seated in?"

"Umm...Sunset Shimmer won it." said Nose Nip.

"Oh, ya must mean that fine young lady unicorn from earlier?" said Sterling. "And where did, uh...she get it from again?"

"No idea." lied Nose Nip. "We don't ask questions, we just fly her zeppelin around."

"Well, uh...look." said Sterling. "Y'all seem like a decent buncha fillies and gentlecolts, so here's a proposition I'd like to make."

He took a small bag of coins out of a pocket in his bright yellow waistcoat, and placed it on the table.

"How would y'all like to do a li'l volunteer work for me?" he asked.

"Define 'volunteer work'." said Frosty, cautiously.

"Well, I was wonderin', since y'all are headed to Bahaggara anyways, maybe y'all could transport some V.I.P.s there in this here airship?"

"What kind of V.I.P.s?" asked Nose Nip.

"Well, you sure ask a lotta questions, don'tcha?" commented Sterling. "Well, uh..."

"The Minister would be referring to me." said a female voice that spoke with a British accent.

A tall Saddle Arabian mare in orange-and-gold attire entered the lounge. She had a magenta coat, clear blue eyes, and a long curly black mane.

"This here's my right-hand mare." said Sterling. "A fine desert flower by the name of Mirage. Councilwoman Mauve Mirage to be exact."

"How's it going?" Nose Nip asked Mirage, casually.

"Yeah! welcome aboard, gorgeous!" Frosty said, before being nudged by Sunflower.

Mauve Mirage just looked at the four with a cold, skeptical gaze. She had a look on her face that basically said "Really? This is what I'm getting?".

"Mauve here's feelin' a bit--shall we say?--homesick." explained Sterling. "So she elected to do a goodwill mission to Bahaggara. Ya know, to keep things steady between them and our colony."

"Yeah, because she seems like a very friendly pony." Sunflower snarked under her breath.

"If y'all agree to this, I'll pay each of ya half your weight in good ol' cash." said Sterling.

"Well, I don't see why not." said Nose Nip.

"Well, then it looks like you get to do some flyin', Mirage!" Sterling grinned at Mirage, before turning to the others. "?By the way, y'all wouldn't mind to much if she were to bring her helpers along, would ya?"

By the time the Summerstar was in the air, there were at least a dozen extra passengers than what was originally promised. All of them were stallions from both Equestria and Saddle Arabia, and they each seemed to have brought along at least one briefcase carrying unknown content. Mirage herself sat still on the bridge's floor as Nose Nip and Frosty flew it through the air. She was now wearing a long jeweled coif that extended down her neck and along the sides of her head, completely hiding her mane. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be meditating. After a while, she clasped her front hooves together and seemed to start praying.

Frosty took a moment to step away from the controls, and approached Mirage.

"So, uh..." said Frosty. "You hungry at all? Cuz we have food in the--"

"Don't disturb me." Mirage said quietly without opening her eyes. "I must keep my focus inwards."

"What for?" asked Frosty.

"I am attempting to renew the spiritual bond I have with my god." said Mirage. "I don't expect you to understand, so leave me be."

"Actually, I do understand." said Frosty. "I'm a kinda religious pony myself. Jehooveh all da way, baby! Though I also worship Princess Celestia and all them alicorns all the same!"

"Really." said Mauve Mirage, flatly. "I never would've guessed".

"And uh, what god do you worship?" asked Frosty, curiously.

"For the sake of personal security...I would rather avoid telling you." said Mauve Mirage. "Now let me meditate in peace. I would recommend you do the same or go away."

"Alright, alright." Frosty said, leaving while grumbling under his breath. "Didn't wanna stick around and chat with ya anyway."

"Sunset Shimmer and her companions pose no threat me, master." said King Nelphyn. "How many times must I assure you?"

"I have put that theory to the test, Nelphyn." said the voice of Saegmuntitus.

"Oh, really?" asked Nelphyn. "Because I would have simply sent the Maul-Ras after them if you wanted me to..."

"You may have more problems than you would believe if the other pieces I put into place do not halt their path." said Saegmuntitus, warningly. "And do not mistake any success they have for any incompetence on my behalf. What I have in store for them is absolute minimal effort. A test, if you will."

"Of course, master." said Nelphyn, casually. "I would be a fool to doubt your power!"

Sunset Shimmer and her friends and family were proceeding down the streets to the outer gate in Bahaggara's marketplace. They mostly kept to themselves, except for when they stopped to get supplies. Unfortunately for them, Equestria's currency wasn't as valuable in Saddle Arabia, so they weren't able to get as many provisions as they would have wanted..or needed, for that matter. It was after leaving the third store they visited, a bookstore, that some of them started to get a strange feeling.

"Hey, Sunset..." said Teddy. "I think somepony's watching us."

"Well, we are in the middle of a crowded street, Ted." said Lightning Dust. "Somepony's bound to be looking at us."

"No, I mean I think that we're being spied on." said Teddy. "You know, followed."

Sunset Shimmer stopped and turned around. The others followed suit. They were all looking back the way they came, but everyone they saw seemed to be going about their own business without even taking a passing glance at them. They even looked up at the rooftops and sky to see if anyone was looking down on them, but again there wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"Well, thanks for scaring us there, Teddy." scolded Trixie, turning around. "I though that--"

She gasped.

"We might be in trouble!" she finished her sentence in a panicked tone.

Sunset Shimmer and the others quickly turned around again, and saw at least thirty equines standing in a crowd in front of them. They were all wearing long brown robes and masks that looked like they were fashioned from ox skulls. Felix Summerset immediately shifted to a defensive pose, as if bracing himself for attack.

"What the heck?" asked Sunset, surprised. "Where'd they all come from? They weren't here a minute ago!"

"Miss Sunset, those are the Acolytes of Jarukia!" Felix said, alarmed.

"And on behalf of our lord, we have come for one who is the spawn of infidels!" said one of the acolytes, approaching Sunset's group. "The one known as Radiant Dawn must come to our idol!"

"And what if he refused, huh?" asked Radiant, stepping forward to protect the others.

The acolytes brandished bladed tools and weapons from the front sleeves of their robes and held them up simulatenously.

"Refusal is out of the question." said the first acolyte. "Radiant Dawn shall come with us willingly, or by force!"

Sunset and the others entered their own fighting stances, with the unicorns' horns glowing, Teddy's front hooves raised up, and Lightning Dust's wings spread-out.

"You will not hurt my son!" Scarlet Blaze said, approaching the acolytes and Radiant. "I'm a priestess of Jehooveh, and I forbid--"

Suddenly, two of the acolytes brandished long black whips from belts underneath their robes. They swung forwards, coiling around Scarlet's front legs, and then forcing her off her hooves. She fell lopsided to the ground with a loud painful grunt.

"Mom!" Radiant shouted involuntarily. "Are you--"

Then three more acolytes brandished similar whips and entrapped his legs in their cords, pulling him towards them and forcing him to the ground as well.

"Radiant!" Scarlet shouted angrily.

She furiously blasted clusters of orange magical energy from her horn into the crowd of acolytes, who were already binding Radiant. As Scarlet blasted several acolytes away, the others all joined in at once. In less than six seconds, the whole street was engulfed in combat. Bodies were thrown around and spells were evaded or deflected, causing projectiles to be bounced into bystanders and buildings in every direction. Now the pedestrians were joining in and the fight became a full-blown riot.

This just made it even harder for Sunset and the others to focus on the acolytes, since there were now aggressive citizens attacking them, the acolytes, and even each other ever way she looked.

"Halt!" shouted a voice of a guard, who came charging into the mob, specifically towards Scarlet Blaze.

Sunset thought at first the guard was going to arrest Scarlet, but to her shock, the guard instead stopped a couple paces from Scarlet before brandishing a halberd and proceeding to swing it at Scarlet. Fortunately, Scarlet was able to dodge the first blow before it could hit her, Sunset blasted the guard away with her own magic before he could try swinging his weapon a second time.

"Mom, are you okay?!" Sunset ran up to her mother, yelling over the loud sounds of battle around them.

"Sunset, watch out!" Scarlet gasped.

Sunset turned around, as three more halberd-carrying guards ran towards her, each shouting "Halt! Halt! Halt!"

They all swung their weapons at her, but she was able to teleport away from just before they even touched the fabric of her cloak. She re-appeared in the doorway of a nearby shop to watch the battle unfold before her eyes: There were at least a hundred guards charging towards the rioters from both ends and every intersection of the street, their weapons drawn and all shouting "Halt!" ad nauseum Whenever a guard was within reach of one of the rioters, that was when they swung their weapons to maim or even kill their chosen target.

Sunset panicked and teleported around the battlefield, shouted as much as she could to her friends and family to scatter and retreat. Unfortuantely, it was too loud for her words to be audible, as they were drowned out by the sounds of clashing weapons and screams of agony. But it wasn't long before the others apparently got the idea to escape, and all broke free of the riot, which was getting bloodier and bloodier with every passing minute. But instead of escaping as a single group, they all scattered every which way was most convenient for them. Sunset noticed this, and produced one last spell: a massive blinding flash of light that disoriented and even demoralized most of the combatants. Most of the fighters fled away screaming, trampling over each other. Sunset was able to teleport away just in time before she could be crushed under a frightened rioter's hooves.

For the next five minutes, Sunset and the others were scattered throughout the marketplace, each being chased by a group of guards that were just as repetitive in their vocabulary as the guards that were attacking the rioters. It took such tricky navigating and lucky turns, but Sunset and the others were able to get to the outer gate, which--to their surprise--had already been smashed open, presumably by fleeing acolytes.

They knocked out every guard that tried to stop them, and galloped madly out of the outer gate and into the desert. They didn't stop until they were all as far away from the city as they hooves could take them. They all stopped in the shadow of a tall sand-dune and took a moment to catch their breath.

"Is...is everypony okay?!" Sunset said, frantically.

She looked around, and couldn't help but notice something horrifying:

"Where's Radiant?!" she gasped, when she couldn't see her brother anywhere.

"I don't know!" said Felix, still panting. "I lost sight of him when the riot began."

"Same for me." said Scarlet. "I hope we didn't leave him back in Bahaggara."

"No." said Felix. "More likely, the acolytes have already taken him to the shrine of Jarukia." deduced Felix. "Either way, we don't have much time if we plan to save him."

"Well, once we all get our horse-shoes back on, we should pay that shrine a special visit." said Sunset, her horn starting to glow wildly. "A very special visit."

Melee at the Shrine of Jarukia

Radiant Dawn felt a blindfold being removed from his eyes, and he found himself chained to some sort of stone altar. He looked around and saw the masked ponies crowding around him.

"What the heck am I doing here?!" he shouted at them.

"You needn't be so stressful, child." said one of the robed equines. "The ritual will soon begin, and your soul will be purified."

"Why?" said Radiant. "What's wrong with how my soul is right now?"

"It is tainted by a history of infidelity that has cursed your family for many generations." said the robed equine.

"Oh, so it's not just because of my mom's little...stunt at that synagogue in Baltimare." said Radiant, dryly. "Well, that sure explains a lot. Look, are you sure you even have the right stallion? Because my family's not cursed! Or maybe it is, but not with what you might think. Look, you guys must be crazy if you think killing me is going to solve anything."

"We do only what our lord Jarukia tells us." said the cult leader, approaching Radiant. "Turn your head, child, and look upon his magnificence."

Radiant looked around and saw that the altar he was bound to laid-out in the shadow of the large golden ox statue that he and the others had seen last night. But now that he was so close, he realized just how terrifying the statue seemed to look. Its jewel-encrusted teeth were laid bare and its mouth was bent in a sinister-looking smile. Its diamond eyes were glowing balefully as Radiant looked into them, getting brighter the more he continued to look. The ox's body seem very skeletal compared to how it was when he first saw it, and its horns were starting to corrode. Radiant started to feel very queasy, like he had a bad stomach-ache.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." he said, clamping his mouth shut and rapidly gulping down his own saliva to ease the pain.

"Radiant Dawn..." said a deep, booming voice.

Radiant looked around for the source of the voice, before finding himself compelled to look at the idol again.

"I have looked into your past, present, and future." said the voice. "And I have seen much darkness and sadness in your heart. Your impurities will be your downfall."

"How?" Radiant replied, mentally.

"You will soon find out." said the voice, which now amplified as he spoke: "May the ritual begin! Feed me his soul!"

Two of the acolytes clamped a large, heavy jeweled ring around Radiant's neck, then brandished blades from their sleeves. The cult leader spoke:

"By the power, and by the magnificence of our golden god, we banish the corruption within this stallion's soul to the Eternal Void! Though we risk losing one of our own people, we make it possible for many more to live in his place. Do not see this as your doom, child. See this as a necessary solution to solve a great evil. For as the saying goes. 'the needs of the many...outweigh the needs of the few! You shall be a hero today...or a martyr.'"

"You're all a bunch of mane-iacs!" rasped Radiant, struggling to lift his head up.

"He who is without sin....make the first mark!" said the cult leader.

Suddenly, a small winged shape sped up from behind and tackled him to the ground.

"You are not going to hurt my boyfriend!" said Lightning Dust, trying hard to pin the cult leader to the ground.

The other acolytes turned to surround Lightning, but several of them were knocked back by a series of blasts of what was unmistakably unicorn magic; Trixie, Pressure Point, and the Daystar Family had evidently arrived, too. The other acolytes regrouped.

"We just want Radiant back, okay?" said Lightning, threateningly to the acolytes. "Don't do anything stupid, or your boss is gonna get it!"

"Ha! It is your own stupidity that shall spell your own downfall, foreigner!" said the cult leader. "This ritual must be complete, or certain doom will befall all of Saddle Arabia."

"Amethyst Nightcrawler, cease this madness!" Felix Summerset called to him, approaching the acolytes.

Amethyst raised his head and looked at Felix.

"Ah, young Summerset." he said. "I never thought I would see your face again."

"Felix, you two know each other?" said Sunset, approaching them.

"Unfortunately...I do, Miss Sunset." said Felix, apologetically, before continuing to speak to Amethyst. "But I know for certain that Jarukia would not have had you conduct a ritual of this sort without putting the victim on trial."

"But the lord Jarukia already knew that Radiant Dawn was guilty of infidelity." said Amethyst Nightcrawler. "He even gave us his name when he called for us to bring him forward."

"Which is rather unusual, don't you think?" said Felix. "I may not agree with the customs of your beliefs, but I know that your religion does have its own standards. Usually, Jarukia prefers to keep the identity of his preferred offerings vague and open to interpretation. He would never single somepony out, regardless of their infamy."

"What are you saying?" Amethyst inquired, who managed to stand himself back up, even with Lightning Dust still clinging onto him.

"I'm saying, my old friend, that you've been deceived by a greater power!" explained Felix.

"Such blasphemous accusations!" spat Amethyst, swatting Lightning Dust off his back. "None could hold any power over our great god of gold! Jarukia stands alone!"

Lightning Dust was knocked off of Amethyst's back, but she was able to fly back to the others just before she could hit the ground.

"Amethyst, we could easily prove you wrong." said Scarlet Blaze. "Not even gods are immune to manipulation!"

"In fact, Princess Luna of Equestria was turned into Nightmare Moon by--" Golden Sun began.

"Bah!" snapped Amethyst. "The ways of the gods we follow in this land are not like those of those princesses your kind dare worship as deities!"

"Listen here, Amethyst." said Sunset Shimmer. "We're not here to squabble over whose beliefs are better than who else's. And by the sound of things, this land already has enough of its own citizens. So we're not going to judge your beliefs, since it may have some good points of its own that us outsiders might not be seeing. Instead, we're just here to stop an innocent life from sacrificed, and I'm not saying this because he happens to be my brother. I'd do the same for any other pony."

"How sagely of you to say that, little mare." said Amethyst. "But don't think you can sway us so easily. You claim to be indifferent of our beliefs, yet still defy us by trying to stop our ritual. You mock us!"

"No! I'm not!" said Sunset.

Amethyst backed up to the other acolytes, who all drew whips and blades from under their robes, bracing to protect their leader. Sunset and the others followed suit. But just before either could deal the first blow, there was a loud humming in the air. Sunset and Amethyst both looked up into the sky to see a massive dark shape flying their way: it was the Summerstar!

Mauve Mirage looked down from the bridge of the Summerstar through a telescope. She had it zoomed in on the shrine, observing the stand-off that was occurring there. She was able to distinguish the robed acolytes, but the other group took some time to recognize, but she was soon able to identify them from the report Minister Sterling had shown her.

"You two!" she said to Nose Nip and Frosty. "Land the airship...now!"

"You could say please..." Frosty said to Mauve, who galloped into the hallway. "You...know?"

Mauve went to her companions.

"Templars, we're going to be landing a little earlier than expected." said Mauve. "But I'm positive we've found the group responsible for dismantling our Fort Echidna garrison. Get yourselves ready now!"

The Summerstar landed on the sand-dunes, and its ramps opened up. Sunset and the others at first seemed relieved when they saw that a squad of guards from New Mustangia were departing from it.

"Great, the cavalry's here!" said Teddy. "Nose Nip and Frosty really..."

"Sunset Shimmer!" said Mauve Mirage. "You and your accomplices are to be placed under arrest for crimes against the Neo-Templars."

"Got us into trouble somehow." Teddy finished, grimacing sheepishly.

"Templars?!" exclaimed Lightning Dust. "They were templars this whole time?!"

"What the heck's going on?!" Radiant called over to them, still tied to the altar.

Sunset turned too look at Radiant; she somehow completely forgot he was still on the sacrificial altar.

"Okay, Amethyst." said Sunset. "Last chance. Let Radiant go, or we're all gonna have a very bad day!"

"Never!" spat Amethyst, defiantly. "Lord Jarukia still demands his tribute! And I see enough potential sacrifices to please him for a decade!"

The templars came in closer in formation, brandishing weapons of their own.

"Come with us, Sunset Shimmer, and we can discuss your punishment back at the colony." said Mauve. "Don't worry, we can be much more reasonable than those ruffians you encountered at Fort Echidna."

"Maybe, but we're not going to take the risk!" said Sunset. "Everyone, pick an enemy and fight!"

Sunset's group turned to face both the acolytes and templars at once, and charged forward as the other two groups did the same. The three groups were fighting each other at once all around the shrine. In the confusion, Nose Nip, Frosty, Maud, and Sunflower broke through the ranks and covertly snuck up to Radiant Dawn.

"Wow, Radiant." said Frosty. "Ya don't like too great."

"I'd say I still look a little better than you." chuckled Radiant, softly. "Now get me out of here!"

Nose Nip and Maud broke the restraints on Radiant, while Frosty unclipped the ring around Radiant's neck.

Scarlet Blaze and Mauve Mirage circled each other, glaring at one another with great intensity.

"So you think you're fool enough to fight me, red?" said Mauve. "I'll let you know I've excelled in three types of martial arts, and I'm not planning to go easy on you."

"Fair enough, blue-eyes." said Scarlet. "Ready when you are."

The two tall Saddle Arabian mares raced towards each other, and started to thrash one another. Although Mauve was slightly stronger due to being an earth pony, Scarlet Blaze was able to hold her own against her rival. Scarlet also fired clusters of projectiles at Mauve, who simply evaded each blast.

"I know just how to deal with you magic types, red." said Mauve, slyly. "Let's see you try casting spells at me if you can't see me!"

There was a strong breeze passing over Mauve, who stuck a hoof into the sand in front of her, and repeatedly stroked it left and right, going faster and faster until an entire cloud of sand was kicked-up and blown into Scarlet. Mauve wore a smug grin as she watched Scarlet stagger in place. She casually strode towards her in the sand-storm, ready to finish her off, when Scarlet suddenly leapt into the air out of Mauve's sight. Mauve looked around, but couldn't see Scarlet anywhere due to her own sandstorm obscuring her vision.

"Now where in blazes did she--UGH!" Mauve groaned as she felt something heavy fall on top of her and knocked her to the ground.

"Looks like you lost this round." Scarlet grinned down as she had Mauve pinned down.

"Bloody right I did, ol' girl." said Mauve, nodding her coifed head slowly. "Good show, miss..."

Suddenly she struck Scarlet across the face with her hoof and broke free. Scarlet was dazed for a moment, but pursued Mauve out of the sand-cloud.

"Limey, redheaded tart!" Mauve shouted back to Scarlet as the two ran away from the site of the battle.

"At least I don't talk like a scullery maid from Trottingham!" Scarlet shouted back.

"You take that back!" said Mauve stopped, clearly offended. "I am twenty times more elegant than you will ever be, half-breed!"

Suddenly, a rock shot through the air and stuck Mauve Mirage on the scalp. Mauve had a dazed, confused look on her face.

"Like I said..." she smiled.

Then she fainted, and collapsed into the sand.

"Nice throw, Maud!" Scarlet heard Nose Nip say behind her.

Scarlet turned around to see that the battle had subsided and that Sunset and the others were in the process of tying up the incapacitated templars and acolytes while interrogating the ones that were still conscious.

"You two!" Scarlet called to Nose Nip and Maud. "Why don't you carry Sleeping Beauty over to her buddies?"

She pointed to Mauve Mirage.

"Umm...Okay." said Nose Nip, simply.

The Guardian of the Desert

Sunset Shimmer, who was exhausted from the lengthy trek to Jarukia's shrine, and from the subsequent battle with the acolytes and templars, decided to lay beside her brother Radiant Dawn in the shade of the golden idol of Jarukia.

"I can't believe...you came back for me." Radiant said to Sunset, his throat dry from being in the hot desert. "You risked your life and came back again."

"Of course I did, Red." said Sunset. "You're my brother. What kind of sister would I be if I didn't look out for you the way you've looked out for me."

She leaned against Radiant, and the two siblings passionately cuddled together. Trixie, Sunflower, and Pressure Point watched this.

"Wow, those two sure love each other a lot." said Sunflower, before turning to Trixie and Pressure. "Now why can't you two get along like them?"

"Because we're not brother and sister." Pressure Point replied. "We're cousins."

"Distant cousins, too." said Trixie.

"Yo' still family, ain'tcha?" said Sunflower. "Ya know, I may not always agree with my li'l sistah Babs all the time, but we still care for each othah. So what's stoppin' you two from doin' da same?"

"Because one of us actually takes their work seriously, and the other is a hopeless loudmouth." said Pressure Point, venomous loudmouth. "We're as different as night and day."

"Hey, so are Princesses Celestia and Luna." said Trixie. "In fact, they are night and day."

"We demand an explanation, temps!" Lightning Dust said as she circled around Mauve Mirage, who was very aloof about being held prisoner. "Why did you try to attack us?"

"Simple: for committing crimes against us." said Mauve. "You made a disgrace of us when you and your accomplices disrupted our templar operations at Fort Echidna."

"Hey, Firewing totally had it coming." said Lightning. "He killed or injured a lot of innocent ponyfolk. In fact, between what his boys did and what you just tried, I'm surprised the princesses haven't declared war on you, or at least banished you all from Equestria."

"Because not all of us seem to want you Royalists all dead." said Mauve. "The Prime Minister may not be interested in total war, but it doesn't mean the whole lot of us have to be happy about sharing land with a bunch of delusional blighters like yourself."

"I tell ya, as soon as the princesses find out what happened here..." said Lightning, snidely.

"New Mustangia is outside of their government, and we're not even in Equestria." said Mauve. "So what happens here is beyond their jurisdiction."

"We'll see about that." said Lightning.

Suddenly, there was a low rumbling in the ground.

"What the heck was that?" asked Nose Nip, who stood nearby.

"I think it might've been a tremor." said Golden Sun. "Not too big, since it didn't even seem like a 2.0..."

Lightning Dust then went over to Amethyst Nightcrawler.

"As for you, what made you think trying to sacrifice my boyfriend would be a good idea?" asked Lightning Dust.

"I didn't expect a foreigner, much less a pegasus like yourself to understand." said Amethyst.

"Dude, stop being a jerk, and just answer the question." said Lightning.

"We already told the others why we did what we did, and you were there when I explained it." said Amethyst. "If you need explaining again, then talk to your friends, and not to me."

Lightning lifted up a hoof to strike Amethyst on the head, but then stopped herself when she decided she was above stooping so low.

"This zealot just ain't worth it." she thought. "Gotta stay cool, gotta stay graceful. Gotta stay...professional."

"Hey, Pressure!" said Lightning Dust, aloud. "Why don't ya come over here and check this wacko out?"

Pressure heard and was complied to investigate.

"Why don't you check Amethyst's brain-waves to see something ain't screwin' with his head." Lightning suggested.

Pressure nodded, then let his horn glow as he skimmed his head above Amethyst's.

"Well, there does seem to be some minor head trauma and...something else." Pressure noted as he magically scanned the cult leader's brain. "Nervous systems were never my strong-suit, but I am picking up abnormal brainwaves, as if something reverse-engineered Amethyst's entire mindset. He doesn't realize what he is doing is any different from what he did before."

"So it would seem the acolytes were tricked after all." said Felix Summerset.

"I...remember now." said Amethyst, slowly. "During our last ritual, when our lord Jarukia spoke to us, his voice seemed to change, as did his personality. But still we suspected nothing. We were in a trance of some sort when he gave us our orders. But we don't know what caused the trance, either. But whatever happened, we have shamed our lord in the name of an impostor."

He bowed his head in remorse.

"But who? Who would dare impersonate a god, and what happened to our real deity?"

"Maybe this is a good sign you guys shouldn'ta been, uh...takin' orders from a statue to begin with?!" questioned Frosty.

"Don't be so naive!" said Amethyst. "Jarukia exists in a plane of existence beyond our own, and his powers are beyond anything you've ever seen your alicorn rulers do."

"Oh, I'll bet." snarked Mauve, nearby.

"But now something has severed his connection to our golden idol of him." said Amethyst, ignoring Mauve's comment. "And I fear something terrible may happen now."

"Why? What's any worse that what's already been said and done?" asked Lightning Dust.

Then the ground rumbled again, this time even harder and longer than before.

"Hey, professor! Is that another earthquake?" said Teddy, nervously.

"I'm starting to think it isn't." said Golden Sun. "The rumbling seems too consistent now to be a natural movement of the world's tectonic plates. This has to be either some magic at work, or..."

Suddenly, about fifty yards from the shrine, a large heap of sand was shot upwards into a dusty cloud, as if a land-mine had been detonated underneath the desert. Immediately after the sand went upwards, a long, knotted shape with a pointed end protruded from a swirling vortex that had opened up.

"Is that some kind of sand-worm?!" said Radiant Dawn, ecstatic.

"No." said Scarlet, shaking her head. "It's..."

Just then, a humped shape started to emerge from the sand in front of the long tail-like thing. As it rose higher and higher, sand fell from it, revealing its white armored body and eight legs. Its fanged mouth slowly opened, as did its multiple red-and-black eyes. It was some kind of albino scorpion, and it was gigantic, roughly the size of a Hercules C-130 cargo plane. Even an ursa would've thought twice before facing this creature, which had a tail that, if straightened, would have been as long as a high-rise building.

"What the buck is that thing?!" said Trixie, absolutely horrified.

"It's only like, the biggest darn scorpion I've ever seen in my life." said Lightning Dust.

"It is the Guardian of the Desert himself!" said Amethyst Nightcrawler. "Mordikaukis has risen from his long slumber!"

"What the heck is Mortduhwatsists?" said Lightning.

"He is the archenemy of our lord Jarukia!" said Amethyst. "As Jarukia spreads vegetation throughout the desert, Mordikaukis preserves the desert's dryness and desolation."

Mordikaukis reared his head, raised his tail and Volkswagen-sized, crustacean-like claws into the air, and let out a deep roar that could be heard for miles.

"After two-thousand years, desert has changed!" said a telepathic deep voice, likely belonging to Mordikaukis. "Who dares place shrine of enemy on guardian's resting-place? Punishment must be given!"

Mordikaukis roared again, and slowly started to crawl forward, snapping his claws as he went. He went was going faster and faster as he moved forward, until he was close enough to the shrine to strike the foundations of it with his tail. The stinger hit so fast that Sunset and the others didn't even have time to blink before the idol started to crack. The ponies all fled in every direction they could.

"Let sand judge fates of idol-worshippers..." Mordikaukis said, swiping his claws across the sand.

He spun his claws in place, and a swirling vortex of sand appeared at the feet of several ponies in the crowd. Templars and acolytes were ensnared in the sand, being "screwed" into the ground by the vortexes. As soon as they were buried to their necks, they were subsequently shot hundreds of feet into the sky, from which they would hit the ground dead or severely injured. These sand-traps opened up in every direction, even if there weren't any ponies near them. Sunset Shimmer wound up being caught in one of them, but she was able to teleport out just before she could be launched into the air.

Suddenly, a panicked shriek announced that Lightning Dust was caught in one of the sand-traps. Before any of her friends could reach her in time to pull her out, she was fired upwards like she was shot out of a cannon. She stopped in mid-air just in front of Mordikaukis, a smug expression on her face.

"Hey guess what, stupid?" she mockingly said to Mordikaukis, her hooves on her hips. "I can fly!"

"No, you stupid...pegasus!" Mordikaukis' deep voice telepathically shouted as his long tail lunged forward.

The stinger seemed to strike Lightning square in the belly, causing Sunset and the others to gasp in horror. But they didn't see Lightning's body anywhere, and Mordikaukis seemed to notice this, since it was looking up at its own tail.

"Huh...where are you, stupid pegasus?" Mordikaukis wondered.

"'Oh, yoo-hoo!" Lightning's voiced called down to him.

Mordikaukis looked up again, and saw that Lightning Dust was riding on the tip of his armored tail like a human would ride a horse.

"Looking for me, big boy?" Lightning taunted, batting her eyes.

"Lightning Dust, are you okay?!" Sunset called up to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Lightning called back down. "Just get yourselves out of here! I've got this covered!"

Sunset hesitated, but Radiant encouraged her.

"Let's go, Sunny." he said. "She knows what she's doing. Believe me!"

Sunset looked at her brother, then nodded.

"Right." said Sunset. "Let's get to the Summerstar!"

Her friends and family hardly needed prompting, because they all bolted to the airship as soon as Sunset finished her sentence. As soon as they were aboard, they all got themselves ready for a quick flight as far away from the area as possible. Nose Nip and Frosty feverishly got the Summerstar airborne, not wanting to wait to see if Lightning would be able to make it or not. Luckily for them, Mordikaukis seemed to already be too distracted to try bringing them down in mid-flight.

Mordikaukis kept lunging his tail back and forth through the air, not to attack the ship, but to try and throw the small pegasus off of him. But to his complete annoyance, Lightning just kept clinging to him like a leech.

"Whoooooooo, whooooooooo, whoooooooooo!" Lightning dizzily exclaimed, as the tail kept rhythmically shooting back and forth like a carnival ride from Tartarus itself. "Ride 'em, cowboy!"

"You not pegasus!" Mordikaukis telepathically yelled at her. "You annoying pixie. No, pixie much less annoying. Pixie...makes...sense! I...am not like...enemy! I am not like cow! Pixie-pony...deserve to...die!"

Then he smashed his tail into the sand, clearly intending to crush Lightning Dust, who simply latched off at just that moment.

"Meh!" Lightning taunted, blowing a raspberry.

Suddenly, the tail snapped back up, whacking Lightning further into the sky and falling back on Mordikaukis' tail, which would then knock her up again and again like a tennis racket. This happened five times, while Mordikaukis laughed in amusement as he did so, until Lightning grabbed onto the stinger again.

"Ugh...let my tail alone!" shouted Mordikaukis.

"I have never taken orders from giant scorpion-gods." said Lightning back to him.

"Now you've will!" Mordikaukis bellowed into her mind. "Hrrrraaaaarrrrrhhh!"

He spun the tail around and around in the air until Lightning Dust finally was thrown off and sent hurdling across the sky towards the Summerstar.

Pressure Point, Maud Pie, and Teddy all opened the loading ramp to let Lightning Dust in, in case she managed to break off early.

"Look, there she is right now!" Teddy shouted recognizing the speeding shape of Lightning.

"Oh, no." said Pressure Point, realizing why Lightning was coming in as fast as she was.

Before either stallion could dodge her trajectory, they were both knocked over by Lightning Dust, whose fall was broken by a stationary Maud Pie, who remained standing while Lightning herself slid to the floor.

"Thanks, Maud." she said, dazed.

Then she passed out from the combined pain and exhaustion, while Maud simply said:

"Ow."

"Crazy ponies." thought Mordikaukis, turning his eyes to the templars and acolytes that were now fleeing across the desert. "All of them...crazy. Worse than...other pegasus. Must...take...vacation...and kill them all later!"

Then he burrowed back underground, disappearing from sight.

A Saddle Arabian Legend

The Summerstar had been flying to the north-east for hours, towards the city of Bridylon. Lightning Dust was put in her bedroom, where Pressure Point (who was himself moderately bruised from his previous collision with her) was magically remedying any injuries inflicted upon her. Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, and Radiant Dawn were in the room as well.

"She'll be all right, won't she?" asked Sunset.

"Well, it only took three ponies to break her fall." snarked Pressure as he continued working.

"At least we've lost the acolytes...and the templars...and that giant scorpion monster." said Trixie.

"But now we don't know where any of them are now." said Radiant. "They might come after us again."

"I doubt it, Red." said Sunset. "I don't think even the templars would chase after us now that we're so deep into the Saddle Arabian desert."

"Yes, we'll probably have enough problems dealing with this land's own crazy locals to worry about what some renegade Equestrians have in mind for us."

Radiant glared at Pressure for a moment, but said nothing.

"Anyway, you three can go on ahead and do...whatever." said Pressure. "Just let me handle Lightning Dust."

"Thanks, Pressure." said Sunset.

Sunset, Radiant, and Trixie left the room and went to the lounge area, where Golden Sun and Felix Summerset were in the middle of a conversation of their own.

"And then he was never heard from again..." Felix concluded, bowing his head.

"Such an intriguing tale." said Golden Sun. "Sad, yes. But truly remarkable."

"What's going on, dad?" asked Sunset Shimmer, curiously.

"Oh, Felix was telling me about a Saddle Arabian legend." said Golden Sun. "The legend of General Luno."

"Luno?" repeated Sunset.

"Yes, Miss Sunset." confirmed Felix. "Luno the White Stallion. Perhaps the most famous pegasus in the history of Saddle Arabia."

"Who is he, though?" asked Radiant. "What's he known for?"

"Luno was one of the greatest heroes that ever lived; A hero who went on many adventures, who was a champion of many kings, and a veteran of many wars. The paladins have been inspired by that magnificent equine as long as they've existed. In fact, the first paladins were trained by Luno himself, thousands of years ago. It was Luno that founded the city of Bridylon, which is my native city. It was Luno that averted catastrophe when an alliance of minotaurs and zebras invaded Saddle Arabia. But these are only a few of his accomplishments, before..."

He paused.

"Before what?" asked Sunset Shimmer, curiously.

"He disappeared." said Felix. "I'm not sure what happened, but I've heard various accounts claiming that an evil sorcerer cast a spell on him that turned him into a small marble statue of himself, and only a certain incantation can free him, and only for a short time-span. Not only that, but I've also heard that a wicked demigod banished him to another world, stripping him of his memories as he did so. Other versions claim he was blessed by a god with the ability to travel through time and space, and voluntarily left to go on some new adventure elsewhere and never return.

"But whatever did happen, he has not been seen again for millennia." Felix continued. "Not in Saddle Arabia, not in Equestria, and not anywhere else in the known world. And it was truly a shame, too. Luno was said to be one of the kindest, bravest pegasi that ever lived. One whose heart and soul were nothing but pure and good."

"So, this Luno guy was to you guys what Star Swirl the Bearded was to Equestria." said Sunset.

"More or less." said Felix. "Though I have to confess, I don't know much about this...Star Swirl the Bearded."

"Well, a long time ago in Equestria, there was a young unicorn stallion named..." Golden Sun began.

THREE HOURS LATER...

"And that is who Star Swirl the Bearded is." said Golden Sun, finally concluding his lecture.

"What a remarkable unicorn!" said Felix. "I certainly wish I could learn more about your country's legends!"

Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, and Trixie both woke up; they had apparently fallen asleep on their hooves about twenty or so minutes in to Golden Sun's lecture, Sunset being the last one to do so.

"Oh, I did it again, didn't I?" said Golden Sun to his son and daughter.

"Uh-huh." said Sunset, groggily.

"Did what?" asked Felix.

"Oh, went into a filibuster." shrugged Golden Sun. "Comes with having been a university professor. Once I start something, I just can't stop."

"It's okay, dad." said Sunset. "Anyway, we're gonna get going now, if ya don't mind."

Sunset, Radiant, and Trixie went outside. Trixie decided to head back to her room, while Radiant and Sunset decided to check on Lightning Dust. When they went inside, they saw Scarlet Blaze was at Lightning's bedside, wearing her old priestess outfit stooping on the knees of her hind-legs. Her front hooves were clasped together and her hood was up. She was muttering something under her breath, before bending her beautiful cowled head down and licked the still-sleeping Lightning on the cheek.

"Mom?" Sunset said, confused.

Scarlet paused, then turned to her children.

"A splendid afternoon to you, my good children." she said in a calm, steady voice.

"What was that about?" Radiant asked, curiously.

"I was giving Lightning Dust a blessing." said Scarlet. "Don't worry, she's better now. She's only taking a nap. She certainly deserves it after fending off Mordikaukis like she did. You've certainly picked your friends well, daughter."

"Thanks, mom." grinned Sunset. "And I've got to say, you look absolutely beautiful."

"Well, you had to get your own beauty from somepony, right?" asked Scarlet, warmly. "Come along, dear. I would like to talk to you for a little while."

"Sure." Sunset said.

The mother and daughter went into another room, leaving Radiant with Lightning.

"Sunset, I'd like to thank you for inspiring me." said Scarlet.

"What do you mean, mom?" asked Sunset.

"Well, you convinced me to re-assume my life as a priestess." said Scarlet. "I never thought I would be able to see myself as one ever again. Of course, I'm not allowed to be officially recognized as one until I've undergone the ceremony again. And the only place that can be done is in Mareusalem, since that's where the nearest synagogue from here can be found."

"Let's just hope King Nelphyn didn't destroy it." said Sunset.

"Let's have faith, daughter." said Scarlet.

She looked out the window, skimming her eyes across the rolling sand dunes below.

"Sunset, I think I would like to tell you a...secret." she stated.

"What kind of secret?" asked Sunset.

"Well..." Scarlet turned to face her daughter. "When you were still a filly, and even before you were even born, I had wanted you to become a priestess yourself. When you came of age, I mean."

"Really?" Sunset said, curiously.

"You see, I thought that since I...well, basically disgraced my own religion the day I married your father, I thought that it would be appropriate that at least one of my children should join the synagogue in my place in order to...well, amend for my rash actions."

"I don't think you ever brought that up when we were all still living at Daystar Manor." said Sunset, observantly.

"Well, I did want to tell you when you were still young." confessed Scarlet, somewhat nervously. "But...your father persuaded me that I should let you and your brother decided what you would want to do as you grew older. I mean, I pretty much did the same when I married him."

"What do you mean?" asked Sunset.

"Well, my father wanted me to one day marry a royal guard like my own mother did." said Scarlet, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, I never got why a strong, independent lady like myself should always find themselves coupled with some 'alpha male' or whatever. I'm already strong and independent, so I thought it would be more interesting to marry someone...well, not exactly 'battle-hardened', but was very smart and kind."

"That's actually a good point." said Sunset.

"But I can say I couldn't be any happier of the decisions I did make." said Scarlet. "Or I wouldn't have had you or your brother. You two made it all worthwhile."

"Thanks, mom." Sunset blushed, brushing the floor with her hoof.

She closed her eyes and gave her mother a very crooked smile.

"You smile just like your father." Scarlet chuckled.

"So Mordikaukis has arisen from his long state of dormancy?" Saegmuntitus mused, as he stood alone in a dark void. "Unexpected, but hardly an obstacle in my goals."

He closed his eyes, and envisioned a large white pegasus with obsidian eyes and a black mane, flying across a clear blue sky. The pegasus was horse-sized and was wearing a saddle and stirrups, upon which sat a small human boy.

"How quaint." Saegmuntitus said, grinning maliciously at the pegasus. "It looks like you still aren't in any hurry to return to your homeland, general. Too busy being a child's play-thing, it seems."

"Now hold on tight, Tim!" said the pegasus to the boy riding on him. "We're approaching the time barrier!"

The pegasus sped on, until there was a shimmering flash of light, which faded away as quickly as it appeared. The sky was now different and they appeared to be soaring over a prehistoric jungle.

"Yo've done it, Luno!" said Tim.

Saegmuntitus laughed.

"How ironic, general." said Saegmuntitus. "You can bend space and time to fulfill a blissfully ignorant child, yet you still can't come back home."

Then he opened his eyes.

"But of course, that was the past." said Saegmuntitus. "Let's see where you are now..."

He spun his trident-like weapon in his claw, and opened up a vortex in front of him. The vortex was in fact a window on the human world. He used it to spy on King Nelphyn and other such renegade Equestrians that happened to be that world. But this time, he took this opportunity to spy into the kitchen of a house in Midland, where a black-haired woman with a sallow complexion was in her bathrobe and on the phone, saying:

"Tim! It's Susie!" said the woman. "Our house is on fire! Can you come over?"

Then Saegmuntitus flicked his staff again, and the window moved to the bedroom of another house, where Tim, now a middle-aged man, was on the phone.

"Of course, I'm on my way." said Tim, in a dull tone, before hanging up.

Then he went to a small chest nearby, took out a miniature marble pegasus, and set it on the floor.

"O winged horse of marble-white, take me on a magic flight!" he said, lifting his hands in a flapping position.

There was a flash of light, and Tim was on Luno.

"Where are we off to now, Tim?" asked Luno.

"Susie's house." said Tim. "We've got a fire to put out."

"I would try calling the Fire Department, but if you want to do things the hard way, Tim..." said Luno, as optimistically as usual, before flying out of the bedroom window.

Saegmuntitus guffawed as he sealed the vortex with another spin of his staff. He banged it on the shadowy floor, and clasped the shaft.

"Not any less amusing, even after nearly five decades." he muttered.

Then he swung the staff again to open another vortex. In the vortex was a dark four-legged figure whose simian face was partially obscured by a dark hooded cloak, although its glowing yellow eyes were no less visible. Saegmuntitus closed his eyes, and spoke telepathically to the figure:

"The Equestria Games have concluded." he said, ominously. "Begin. Now."

"I am not ready yet, master..." said a sinister, yet exhausted voice from the dark figure.

But Saegmuntitus suddenly opened his eyes, which glowed balefully as he glared at the cloaked creature, which was now writhing painfully and clasping his head with his humanoid hands. Saegmuntitus tilted the staff down so that the pointed end was facing the lightless floor.

"You are." Saegmuntitus said aloud. "And once you are done in Equestria, I have a task for you in Saddle Arabia. Do you understand, Tirek?! Do not disappoint me!"

"Of course, O Saegmuntitus." said Tirek, who stopped writhing about. "I will start immediately."

Saegmuntitus sealed the vortex and struck the staff onto the floor again, clasping the handle at the top with both claws. A strange vapor issured as he slowly exhaled through his flared nostrils.

"And if you disappoint me, Nelphyn, your days are already numbered." thought Saegmuntitus.

The City of Bridylon

"So...let me guess this whole thing straight!" Hotrod Sterling said to Mauve Mirage and her surviving guards, when they returned to New Mustangia. "Your soldiers were all killed by a giant scorpion monster?"

"That's the truth, sir." Mauve said, nodding her head slowly.

"Hogwash!" Sterling snapped. "That's what this is! Hogwash! How in the name of Neo Genesis could y'all let yourselves get killed by some wildlife?! And in your own homeland, too, Mauve! You're a disgrace to us templars and you Saddle Arabians!"

"This isn't just some giant scorpion, minister." said Mauve. "It was Mordikaukis, the Guardian of the Desert."

"I don't care if he's the Great Cattle-Rustler in the Sky!" said Sterling. "Unlike those lackadaisy alicorn gals back West, we ain't gonna tolerate something that powerful messing with our citizens! Well, I'm gonna take this matter into my own hooves! Fifty thou' for the pony that--"

Suddenly, there was a scream from outside. Sterling, Mauve, and the others rushed outside in response to the noise. There seemed to be a long streak of partially unearthed dirt leading from the desert and ending in the town square. And at the end was the pointed end of a massive white scorpion tail, which was swiveling around in place, as if looking for something. There were colonists and guards alike around the tail, the latter trying to block the tail from making any possible contact with the former.

Sterling just stood there both flabbergasted and horrified as the large tail, which was as thick as an oak tree, swathed left and right experimentally. Every so often, it seemed to point at each pony, bending and arcing as if to strike. Mauve cautiously decided to approach the tail, setting her hoof on the sand. As soon as her hoof touched the ground, the tail instantly snapped sideways to face her direction, and slowly drew closer to her, plowing through the sand as it went. Mauve had a shocked expression on her face, her blue eyes shaking with fear. Sterling looked at her, then swatted his hoof against her leg. Mauve pulled her leg back with a pain-stricken grunt. She put it against her mouth to scratch the bruise with her teeth.

"What in blazes did you do that for?" she whispered to Minister Sterling.

"Look." Sterling pointed forward, with the most casual expression on his face.

The tail started to swath around again, before lunging forwards to hit the exact spot where Mauve's hoof was, before disappearing deep into the sand. There was a low rumbling, and the sounds of a large object dragging itself underground became audible, then distant. The colonists all paused, mutually surprised and shocked. They all waited five minutes to see if the tail, or whatever it was connected to, would return. When nothing else rose from the ground, they all started chattering frantically amongst each other. Hotrod Sterling, who previously had a calm demeanor, beckoned Mauve and her surviving bodyguards back inside, where the minister collapsed into his seat.

"Well..." he said, panting. "Now that I've taken the time ta think 'bout it...I think waiting for back-up from back West wouldn't be too bad an idea."

"That certainly seems like a splendid suggestion, minister." said Mauve, still trembling.

"But don't think yer off the hook, Ms. Mirage." said Sterling, climbing out of his seat. "You've still gotta lot to do before you earn mah forgiveness. Blowin' your cover and gettin' your boys killed like that. Honestly..."

"Yes, minister." Mauve Mirage said, shutting her eyes and bowing her head in shame.

"You're gonna have to do a lotta work 'round the building." said Sterling. "Startin' ten minutes from now, in my private chambers. So get yourself ready."

Mauve opened her eyes.

"Oh, joy." she snarked.

TEN MINUTES LATER...

Sterling sat on his king-sized bed, eagerly watching his bedroom door, which Mauve slowly opened and went through.

"Make sure this whole room's cleaned, got it?" Sterling said. "You ain't leavin' this room till the whole place is ship-shape! And I'm gonna stay here to make sure ya don't mess around. Ya got it?"

"I know, sir." Mauve rolled her eyes. "I always aim to please."

The Summerstar was now nearing Bridylon.

"Okay, we all know what to do, right?" asked Sunset Shimmer.

"Of course we do, Sunset." asked Teddy, before pausing. "Hang on, what are we going to do again? I mean, I didn't think we'd have a plan."

"We're going to get the news on the paladins' progress at Mareusalem, and then head over there." said Sunset.

"Why don't we just fly over there right now?" asked Teddy.

"Because King Nelphyn might blast us out of the sky, and Bridylon is a safe enough distance from Mareusalem to prepare ourselves if the paladins aren't able to take him." said Sunset.

"Okay, that makes sense." said Teddy. "I just hope there isn't a repeat of what happened at Bahaggara. I almost had my tail cut off by one of those crazy guards."

"Don't worry, friend." said Felix Summerset. "Bridylon is my home, and we are among the most noble of Saddle Arabians, outside of Mareusalem that is."

"I sure hope so." said Radiant Dawn. "I'd hate to run into any more crazy zealots."

"I would like to add, Radiant, that there is a training ground for paladins in Bridylon." said Felix. "I could take you there, if you would like."

"Oh, yeah." said Radiant. "You can count me in on that anytime."

The Summerstar landed just outside the city, and Sunset and the others approached the gates.

"Halt!" said one of the guards. "What business do you strangers have here?"

"They are not strangers." Felix said, approaching the guards. "I am Felix Summerset. I am a paladin, and a resident of this city."

"Of course, Summerset." said the first guard. "But what about the others?"

"They are here to help us with the current crisis." said Felix. "They have come all the way from Equestria to aid us against the tyrant that has seized Mareusalem."

The guards inspected the group of ponies that accompanied Felix to the gate. They both seemed largely disappointed by what they saw. Not only were there little more than a dozen present, but none of them were armed or wearing any sort of armor, only three of them were of Saddle Arabian height, and only a fraction of the group actually seemed like warriors or soldiers of any sort.

"Very well." said the guard, reluctantly. "You may all enter."

They opened the gate, through which Felix led the group through the cobblestone streets and towards a large mansion, which had a more "traditional" Arabian appearance, at least in comparison to the "Oreo cookie" palace and other buildings in Bahaggara. They were stopped at the front gates by a tall stallion flanked by paladins in full armor.

"Welcome back home, my son." said the stallion to Felix.

Felix approached the stallion, and the two quickly gave each other a brief hug.

"Everypony, this is my father." said Felix to the others. "He is Cyrus Summerset. And he is one of the wealthiest stallions in all of Saddle Arabia."

"Greetings, travelers!" Cyrus said to Sunset Shimmer and the others. "Please, come inside."

Sunset Shimmer and her group followed the Summersets inside, where they had a banquet just in time for sundown.

"So I take it that these are the reinforcements the princesses have sent to aid us in our time of need?" Cyrus asked his son.

"Not exactly." said Radiant Dawn. "We sort of...came here on our own accord."

"Is that so?" asked Cyrus. "And who might you be?"

"Captain Radiant Dawn, of the Canterlot Night Guard." said Radiant.

"Ah, so you are a captain?" asked Cyrus, intrigued. "Then this must be some elite fighting force that was sent by Princess Luna."

"You know about Princess Luna?" asked Radiant.

"Of course!" said Cyrus. "She was always my favorite alicorn princess to study."

"Father was an astronomer in his youth." Felix whispered to the others.

"Sorry, but we're not exactly who you think we are." said Radiant.

"Then are they at least mercenaries?" asked Cyrus. "You indeed seem like you would make a capable leader, Captain Dawn."

"Actually, I'm not the leader here." said Radiant. "That honor...would go to my sister, Sunset Shimmer."

He turned to look at Sunset, as did Cyrus. Sunset blushed in reaction to her brother's comment.

"So you are all led by a filly?" asked Cyrus.

"I'm not a filly, Mr. Summerset." said Sunset. "I'm a fully-grown mare."

"Ah, forgive me." said Cyrus. "I didn't mean to be so insensitive of your...disability."

"Disability?" asked Sunset.

"Well, I've already deduced that your brother is of Saddle Arabian descent, so if you are in fact his sister, I would have thought you would be...taller since you are one of our breed. A shame that such a lovely mare like yourself, should succumb to...well, stunted growth."

"Hang on a sec!" Radiant said, loudly.

"Hang on, Red." Sunset said quickly. "Actually, I'm of normal height by the standards of ponies in Equestria. Which makes sense, since my dad over here's from Vanhoover."

"That's right, Mr. Summerset." said Golden Sun. "My family's lived in Equestria as long as they've existed. I don't have a drop of Saddle Arabian blood in me. My wife and kids, though, do."

"Yeah." said Radiant, calmly. "I'm actually more of an Equestria pony than I am a Saddle Arabian. Sunny and I are only one-eighth Saddle Arabian on our mother's side." --he pointed to Scarlet--"So I'd say it's more surprising that I am as tall as your typical Saddle Arabian than it is that Sunset isn't."

"Very true." said Scarlet. "He wasn't that much bigger than Sunset when they were both little, and they're only three years apart in age. Son, when did you start getting so tall again?"

"Umm, I think sometime after I turned thirteen." said Radiant. "I started getting all these growth spurts out the wazoo. At first, I thought it was some spell that Sunset put on me, but we couldn't find any spell that would permanently duplicate the effect on Sunset herself. I guess I just inherited my height from mom."

"Interesting." said Cyrus, turning back to Sunset. "But still, since you are the leader of this group, would you care to share your strategies with me on dealing with King Nelphyn?"

"Well..." Sunset scratched her mane. "To be honest, it's kind of a work in progress. I think we need to see how the paladins are doing against King Nelphyn before we can confirm anything. Do you have any news about it?"

"The siege on Mareusalem continues on, I'm afraid." said Cyrus Summerset. "There are probably hundreds of paladins blockading the city, yet there's been no success in entering the city. The walls are too heavily-guarded, I'm afraid."

"Have any pegasi tried flying over the walls?" asked Lightning.

"Yes, but all attempts to do so have met with disaster." frowned Cyrus. "There's an evil cloud hanging over the city, or so I hear. Any pegasus that tries to fly through it disappears forever, and if they try moving it or flying around it, a swarm of locusts emerges from the cloud and mutilates them. Not to mention, that there are very few--if any--unicorns here in our land, let alone any that have the kind of magical skill needed to destroy the cloud."

"A cloud, huh?" said Radiant. "Lemme check it out."

He closed his eyes, and his horn glowed. He was aparently using his ability to detect weather patterns, so Sunset and the others knew not to interrupt him. He remained stationary for a moment, before finally saying:

"Huh, there's something pretty weird about it." said Radiant, his eyes still shut. "There's definitely something going on in there, that ain't even remotely natural. Don't know if it's dark magic--which it probably is, anyway--but it's definitely not of our world."

"So you're basically saying that either we're being visited by aliens, or that the cloud is actually an inter-dimensional anomaly of some kind." deduced Sunset. "Either way, King Nelphyn's not holding back on his defenses."

"Tell me about it, sis." said Radiant, shuddering as he re-opened his eyes. "Well, that's as much as I can detect from here. We'll have to get closer if we wanna learn anything else."

"Good idea." said Sunset. "We'll have to get ourselves ready as much as possible before King Nelphyn can achieve what it is he's planning."

"A good idea." repeated Pressure Point, skeptically. "A good idea?! Sunset, I'm your...acquaintance and all, but let's be a little realistic here. We're not monster-hunters, or combat specialists, or whatever you think we are. I'm sure you and your brother know what you're doing, but look at the rest of us! We're just a bunch of ponies that are in over their heads. In case you need reminding, all we are is a couple of mountain-climbers,"--referring to Frosty and Nose Nip.--"A doctor,"--pointing to himself.--"A stage performer,"--pointing to Trixie.--"A schoolteacher,"--pointing to Golden Sun, then to Scarlet Blaze.--"A freakin' nun!"

"Priestess." Scarlet corrected.

"Whatever." Pressure said, pointing to Lightning Dust. "A loose-cannon, another even older loose-cannon,"--pointing to Crimson Blade.--"A fashion queen,"--he pointed to Sunflower.--"A rock-farmer..."--he pointed to Maud Pie.--"And Teddy."

"Hey!" Teddy said.

"Oh, and am I forgetting anyone?" said Pressure.

At that moment, Bathilda the fruit-bat flew into the room, apparently following them all the way from the zeppelin. She started fluttering and squeaking around his ear.

"Right, and a bat with da shortest attention span in the history of short attention spans!" said Frosty, jokingly.

"Precisely." said Pressure. "Yeah, just put us all in tight spandex and call us the Power Ponies, because we just scream 'Undefeated Champions of the World', don't we?!"

"And...?" said Sunset.

Pressure face-hooved, grumbled and then said:

"Sign me on..." he sighed, reluctantly.

The Siege of Mareusalem

The denizens of New Mustangia were all gossiping to each other about the strange encounter they had earlier with the giant scorpion tail. Laying in a dazed slump in an alley sat a light brown pegasus with charcoal-colored hair and a dirty brown cloak.

"I swear, it must've been forty feet long, even more!" one nearby pony said to his friend.

"Really?" said the other pony. "My cousin's in the guard, and he said it was only thirty."

"Only thirty." said the first, stone-faced. "Still pretty darn big, wouldn't you say?"

"That it is." said the other. "By the way, do you really think those ponies in the blimp were the ones that sent that...whatever it was our way?"

"Probably." said the first. "But if they were, why hasn't Minister Sterling sent anyone after them."

"My cousin told me that the minister doesn't want us to get mixed up in Saddle Arabian politics, and they need every guard here in case anything else happens. Besides, those strangers came from Equestria, so if whatever's in Mareusalem doesn't get to 'em, they'll have to come back our way sooner or later."

The pegasus shifted her head to listen in harder, her eyes widened with surprise.

Sunset Shimmer and the others were on the Summerstar, getting ready for what they could already tell was going to be a very big battle. Sunset Shimmer and Trixie Lulamoon donned their hooded cloaks, Lightning Dust her Shadowbolt flightsuit, Felix Summerset a suit of armor worn by paladins, Scarlet Blaze her priestess outfit, while a few of the others went into the armoury to get the supplies scavenged from Fort Echidna. They found that the templar armor collected from the fort had been modified to protect the wearer from the harsh desert environment.

"Ya like it?" Sunflower told Crimson Blade, who was the first to inspect it. "Frosty and I worked on it while you were all out puttin' yo'selves in danger at that town...whatever it's called."

"Bahaggera." said Crimson, dully.

"Bagherra, right!" Sunflower grinned smugly. "I betcha they're a lot better lookin' than that stuff you wore when you were one of 'em!"

Crimson Blade telekinetically fit the modified armor onto his body. A veil had been added to the helmet's visor to protect the eyes and face from sand, and a tan cloak was added. It had also been painted a brownish color so that the wearer would blend in with the sand.

"I'll admit it certainly seems comfortable..." said Crimson, shifting himself in place as he adjusted to his new attire.

"I'm glad ya like it, old-timer!" Sunflower smiled. "Frosty and I make a real sweet team togethuh...I nevuh though a fashionista like myself and a mountain-climbuh like Frosty would make good armorers!"

"Then I can say my grandchildren chose their friends wisely." said Crimson.

"Uh...friends?" asked Sunflower, chuckling. "Nah...I don't thinka myself as Sunset or Red's friend. I'm just along for the ride. I'm only here cuz I can't get enougha my cute li'l honey Frosty."

"Well, I'm glad their friends chose their friends wisely." said Crimson, smiling.

Lightning Dust and Felix Summerset were flying over the desert, two black specks in the sky. They had been sent ahead to scout out the area and check on the battle.

"You fly very well, Lightning Dust!" Felix called over to the other pegasus.

"Thanks!" said Lightning. "I'm actually the fastest flier in Fillydelphia. Though I can't really say whether or not I'm the fastest in Equestria! Rainbow Dash would totally--"

"Lightning, look!" Felix said, aghast.

Lightning Dust looked forward, and her eyes and mouth opened wide. The city of Mareusalem was less than five miles away, but they could see many signs of an intense battle throughout the land beyond its walls. There were many tall equine shapes battling even larger creatures in the sand.

"This doesn't look good!" said Felix.

"Tell me about it, dude." said Lightning, eyes sweeping left and right as she examined the layout of the battle. "We're gonna have a heck of a time getting through all that mayhem and destruction."

Felix looked around.

"Look!" he turned his head at the top of a sand-dune. "There is my commanding officer!"

Lightning followed Felix to the sand-dune, where Silver Schmitar was scrutinizing the massive cloud over Mareusalem.

"Silver! Silver, I've returned!" said Felix, hiding his wings as he touched the ground.

"Felix, it's good to see you." said Silver. "Have you delivered the message to Equestria?"

"Yes, of course." nodded Felix. "And I've brought help with me. They should arrive very soon."

"Good." said Silver. "We will need all the help we can possibly muster to get into that city."

"What has happened since I left?" Felix asked, curiously.

"We've set up a perimeter around the city." said Silver. "Nothing's getting out of there without us knowing. We haven't seen any sign of King Nelphyn or those strange creatures that helped him seize the city. But we can't get inside. There's an evil force in that cloud above. I don't know what it is, but anypony that goes anywhere near it ceases to exist."

Felix and Lightning looked more closely at the cloud hanging over the city. It was larger than a pod of blue whales merged together, and green electricity was crackling all around the black vapors that it was comprised of. The longer that the ponies looked at it, the more the sky around the cloud seemed to darken.

"Yeah...definitely getting some baaaaad mojo from that thing." Lightning commented.

Suddenly, there was a loud humming noise, and Lightning turned around. The Summerstar was already flying towards the city.

"What in the name of Luno is that thing?" questioned Silver Schmitar.

"That's the help you're gonna be getting from back West." Lightning told him. "Felix, stay with Silver. I'll tell the others not to get too close to the battlefield."

"Very good idea." Felix nodded.

Lightning Dust flew as fast as she could to the airship. She hovered right in front of the windshield of the zeppelin's bridge, and made gestures to Nose Nip to land. Nose Nip nodded, and told Frosty to help him get the airship down to the ground. Once it was landed, Sunset Shimmer and the others got off the ramp, fully equipped for their mission.

"Where's Felix?" asked Sunset Shimmer.

"He's with the other paladins right now." said Lightning Dust. "So whatever you've got planned, Sunset, we'd better get it done A-S-A-P."

Sunset went up a nearby sand-dune, and examined the battle. She was totally lost for words at the size of the army of paladins forming a perimeter around Mareusalem. At least thousands had to be there. The others came up the dune with her, with similarly ecstatic expressions on their faces.

"All dose paladins and they still can't get into dat city?!" said Frosty, surprised.

"How are we going to get into the city?" said Teddy.

"For that matter, do we even want to go into that city?" inquired Pressure Point.

"Of course you'd be the one to ask that, cousin..." said Trixie, unamused.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Knock it off!" said Scarlet Blaze. "I'm sure our daughter has something special in mind for King Nelphyn's defenses."

"Well..." said Sunset, hesitantly. "It's actually still kind of a work in progress. But the first thing we need to do is try and get into the city without getting killed. And with that evil cloud floating over the city, flying's out of the question."

"Then we'll have to dissipate the cloud." said Radiant Dawn. "Dad, you got any ideas?"

"Well, assuming that the cloud was in fact created by dark magic, I suppose that one could simply cast a counter-spell to remove it. But there's something very strange and unnatural about this cloud. It'll take more than one of us unicorns to get rid of it."

"Then let's have all us unicorns get rid of it!" said Frosty, his horn glowing.

The other unicorns followed suit, their horns illuminating brighter and brighter. The light intensified until they became visible for miles. The paladins below all looked back at the light in awe and wonder. A large arc erupted from the light, springing upwards into the sky until it was just in front of the cloud. At the end of the light, the glowing likeness of a giant pony's head materialized, glaring at the cloud with its glowing eyes. It opened its mouth and...blew.

The wind that issued from the giant head's mouth was laced with the real counter-spell, which tore the magical properties of the cloud to pieces. It also disintegrated any other magical enchantments that apparently were placed around the city. The giant pony head smirked, and vanished, along with the unicorns' light. All the unicorns were visibly fatigued: Sunset Shimmer panted and collapsed to the ground, as did Golden Sun. Scarlet Blaze, Crimson Blade, and Radiant Dawn staggered, but managed to hold their own, while Trixie, Pressure Point, and Frosty fell on top of each other, gasping for air.

"At least we don't..." panted Pressure. "Have to do anything like that again."

"Uh...you might not wanna speak so soon." Sunset said as she got back up.

"Why?"

"That." said Sunset, dully as she pointed forwards.

Another dark cloud rose up from the city.

"Oh, come on!" said Frosty, who just got back up.

But then the cloud started to move...very fast. And towards Sunset's group. At first, they were all confused about this. And then came the buzzing.

"Locusts!" shouted Lightning Dust. "Look out!"

The non-unicorns in Sunset's group all scattered, but halted when they realized the unicorns were still too tired to move. But by the time they realized this, the locusts were already swarming around them all. They was shouting in every direction as each pony tried as hard as they could to fight off the swarm, but there were simply too many. Every time Sunset tried teleporting away, there were more waiting for her, latching onto her and nibbling on the fabric of her cloak.

"Get 'em off!" Teddy shouted, as a locust started biting his ear with its sharp mandibles.

Suddenly, there was a large concussive blast, and then a loud hissing as a great pillar of fire sprang up into the air. All the locusts were either incinerated by the heat, or scattered everywhere aimlessly. Sunset got up, and saw Crimson Blade standing upright and alone while everyone else was either knocked over or half-buried in the sand. His horn was pointed up and he was breathing heavily.

"Good...riddance." he puffed, before sinking his legs into the ground.

"Grandpa, are you okay?" Radiant got to him first.

"Of course." said Crimson, catching his breath. "It's been a while since I had to use an incendiary spell."

"That was you?" said Sunset, getting up. "Wow. That was...incredible."

"Never did like locusts all that much." said Crimson.

Bathilda, who had apparently flown out of the airship at that very moment. She flew to the ground and landed next to a dead locust. She sniffed it, then put her claw to her nostrils, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

"Join the club." said Sunset, with a little smile.

"Sunny, look." said Radiant, pointing at the city.

The paladins were all closing in on Mareusalem, now that the dark magic protecting it was gone.

"Looks like we did our job." said Sunset.

"Now it looks like it's time to the paladins to do theirs." said Nose Nip. "So what do you say, everypony? Should we just go now?"

"No." said Sunset. "We need to see this through, Nips. They will need all the help they can get against King Nelphyn."

"Then what are we standin' around here fo'!" said Sunflower. "Let's go kick this guy's flank, then!"

Breaching Mareusalem

The sun was setting when the paladins finally entered their beloved capital city. They were congregating in the streets, bracing for any attack King Nelphyn's creatures could stage against them. They all had blades and javelins out, and were ever-vigilant.

As they continued down the streets, they persistently watched for any strange movement around them. At first, there didn't seem to be anyone else on the streets with them, but a feeling of dread was in the air. Silver Schmitar had the paladins halt when they were in the marketplace. They observed the destruction that the locusts had left. All the food had been consumed or spoiled, all the stands and wagons destroyed, and the buildings were in no better condition.

"Fan out." said Silver. "Spread out across the city. I want to see if anypony is still alive out here...or if King Nelphyn still has something in store for us."

The paladins agreed, and squad upon squad dispersed down different lanes and roads, searching every building as they went. Silver, Felix, and several other paladins remained in the marketplace, looking up at the palace that was once their capital.

"I can't believe this, Felix." said Silver. "What equine could do such an evil and vile thing to his own kind?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that." said Felix. "But we should have faith. Nelphyn will be brought to justice, no matter what price has to be paid to make it happen."

Suddenly, there was a rumbling noise, and a small tremor. The paladins nearby all drew their weapons and looked down at the ground, as if expecting something to come up from under their hooves. They were all feverishly scanning the ground to see any expanding cracks, but saw none. Then the rumbling stopped, and there was a dead silence that made them even more insecure. Some of them started to look around for anything that might have tried approaching them, but saw nothing else.

"What was that?" Felix wondered aloud.

"I don't know." said Silver Schmitar. "But it can't be anything good. Felix, regroup the other paladins. We need to storm the palace before King Nelphyn makes his next move. Everyone else, on me."

Silver Schmitar and the other paladins proceeded towards the plaza, and ascended the stairs to the palace's outer door. Some of the paladins went up against either side, flanking the doorway, while Silver and a few others stood foremost in the middle.

"Get yourselves ready for anything." he said. "There's a definitively evil presence on the other side of this door."

A paladin on the left side of the door nodded in acknowledgment, raising a hoof-blade as he cautiously put his other front hoof on the door. He grabbed a latch to open it, and was about to pull on it when...

A horrifying yell was heard from the city below.

It was now twilight, when Chrome Shield and a squad of paladins were patrolling one of the lanes extending from the marketplace. A house suddenly collapsed, and a massive golem burst forth from the wreckage, seizing one of the paladins by the head with a four-fingered claw. Its grip was so strong and instantaneous that the paladin didn't even have a chance to react when his neck was abruptly snapped by the sheer power of the creature's grip. One of the other paladins cried out in terror, as Chrome Shield and the others turned to catch sight of the monster. But still, they wasted no time in engaging the creature head-on.

Silver Schmitar and the other paladins were so distracted by the noise that they all couldn't help but turn away from the palace's doors, which suddenly swung open behind their backs, allowing an unknown foe to spring outwards and blind-side them. Four paladins were slain instantaneously, and it was only because the fourth made a lurching groan that the others turned to see at least a dozen shadow-ponies standing over the viciously mangled corpses of the paladins' fallen comrades. Two of the shadow-ponies, which were both in winged form, started to hover a few feet in the air, and simultaneously grabbed the doors to the palace before slamming them both shut.

Before Silver could give the order to retaliate, all but one of the shadow-ponies launched themselves forwards at the paladins. A battle ensued between the two groups. Meanwhile across the city, more golems were emerging from hiding places and attacking the paladins spread out across Mareusalem. There was fighting every which way, with entire squads each being pitted against one or two golems. The widespread ambush was so sudden and severe that a fifth of the paladins that breached the city were either killed or injured in the first five minutes. But the ones that weren't downed so quickly were able to hold their own against the golems, but weren't any closer to actually defeating them.

Silver's group struck down the shadow-ponies that attacked them, although five paladins were wounded in the process, until the stairs were covered in a large dark shadowy stain and only one remained, standing in front of the gate. The paladins all brandished forth their weapons and proceeded to approach the lone shadow-pony.

"You've lost." said a paladin. "Open the doors now."

But the shadow-pony said nothing, not even flinching. The shadow on the stairs started to expand, and even more shadow-ponies emerged from it behind the paladins.

"We defeated you all once, and we can do it again." said another paladin.

"Don't try patronizing them, Skystone." said Silver. "They don't comprehend fear. So ignore those others. We need to get that door opened now!"

But the shadow-pony at the doors suddenly hovered in the air, and brandished a shiny black hoof-blade. Then to their surprise, the shadow-pony stabbed itself, and then let itself collapse backwards against the doors, where it sank into a dark, ropey shadow that spread all over the doorway. The shadow expanded until the doors were both obscured, and many more shadow-ponies emerged from it.

Felix jumped onto a golem's back, and start hacking at its neck with a hoof-blade. But the tough rock exterior of the creature was too strong for his blade to penetrate. The creature made a grab for Felix, who leapt off before it could grab him. However, the claw nicked Felix on the flank as he got off, causing him to fall to the ground. The golem swung its arms down at Felix, who rolled and dodged each blow, which left miniature craters in the street.

Felix got up again, and climbed up the golem's arm as it brought down another blow, which missed the pegasus once again. He struck it several times in the head with his front hooves, and then swung around its neck to try and find a way to break it, but the golem spun in place, knocking Felix against the wall. He lay dazed and sore as the golem slowly approached him again. Felix was too fatigued to try evading the blow which would seal his fate...

Boom!

Something large and black shot down from the sky, and crashed into the golem, disintegrating its head. The headless golem toppled over lifelessly into the wreckage of a destroyed house. Felix looked up at the sky, and saw the Summerstar flying overhead.

"Well done, Miss Sunset." he sighed in relief. "Well done."

"Aww, yeah!" said Frosty, who was operating the on-board cannon aboard the Summerstar. "I got one!"

He turned the turret around, and fired another shell into the torso of a second golem down in the marketplace, which was about to stomp on an unconscious paladin. The giant stone creature wasn't destroyed by the shell, but it did lose balance and fall over into an abandoned heap of compost.

"Strike two!" he shouted.

He adjust the sights on the cannon, and then blasted a third shell at a nearby pair of golems, destroying the heads of both in a row.

"Strike three, baby!" Frosty exclaimed, aiming the cannon at another golem below.

He pulled the trigger mechanism, but nothing happen.

"And...I'm out." he said. "Well...time to use the Gatling Gun!"

He ran to the other side of the observation deck where the weapons were mounted, and set up the machine-gun salvaged from Fort Echidna. He waved it left and right, trying to find a target to shoot. But unfortunately...

"Hey, Nips!" Frosty called up the open trap-door above him. "Could ya bring us a little lower! I can't see anything ta shoot!"

"What was that?!" Nose Nip's voice called down to him.

"I said I--" Frosty shouted up, before being interrupted by a loud clattering noise.

He turned around, and squealed with fright as he saw two shadow-ponies crawling in through the Gatling Gun's window like giant flying-ants. He fired a beam of magical energy at one of the shadow-ponies, causing it to freeze in a block of ice, which Frosty promptly smashed to pieces.

"How'd ya like dat, shadow-freak?" said Frosty. "Dey don't call me 'Frosty' for nuthin'!"

But the remaining shadow-pony wasn't intimidated at all. In fact, it just galloped towards him, to Frosty's chagrin.

"Man, where's dat fire-bird thing when ya need it?!" he said.

Frosty involuntarily ducked, and thanks to his short height, the shadow-pony completely overshot him. Frosty took this opportunity, and cast a freezing spell on the creature's hooves, halting it in its tracks. It was now beating its wings to try breaking free.

"Okay then, looks like it's two for two!" said Frosty, his horn glowing again.

But another clattering noise announced the even more shadow-ponies were trying to get inside.

"Aww, c'mon!" Frosty said half-distracted, as he turned to investigate the noise. "Ya guys wanna piece'a me, too?! I'm just the the tip of the iceberg, baby!"

Suddenly, the half-frozen shadow-pony broke free, and turned to face Frosty while his back was turned. It slowly approached him, drawing a hoof-blade.

"Hey, would ya mind?" said a familiar voice behind the freed shadow-pony, which turned around to find the source of the voice.

Sunflower was standing there, one of her front hooves raised, which she then smashed into the shadow-pony's head, knocking it backwards, almost falling on top of Frosty.

"Hey, lady!" Frosty turned to his savior. "Watch where ya throw yer garbage!"

"Yo' welcome, honey." retorted Sunflower.

Frosty and Sunflower turned to face the other shadow-ponies.

"Who's next?!" Sunflower shouted, pumping her hoof in the air.

The shadow-ponies apparently decided Sunflower was the bigger danger to them, and all charged at her...only to be knocked off the zeppelin in mere seconds.

"And stay off!" Sunflower shouted down to them.

But there was one last shadow-pony trying to climb inside, from above. Frosty saw this, got on the Gatling Gun, and fired away at it, causing it to plummet down below.

"Yow!!" said Sunflower, putting her hooves to her ears to get rid of the ringing sensation she was now hearing. "Warn me when you're gonna fire that thing!"

"Yo' welcome, honey!" Frosty echoed back.

Lightning Dust was flying over Mareusalem, drawing as many shadow-ponies towards her as she could. At that moment, she had at least sixty of them in hot pursuit, and she was leading them in circles.

"You guys wanna catch me, you better go faster!" she taunted.

She herself was speeding on and on, prompting the shadow-ponies to do the same. As soon as they started flying around in a spiral pattern, Lightning covertly zipped aside to watch the shadow-ponies unwittingly spin themselves into a big black cyclone, which began to tear through Mareusalem. But since Lightning knew that it was important to avoid collateral damage as much as possible, she decided that the shadow-ponies in the swirling vortex needed some kind of motivation to move where they would cause minimal destruction. At least, that was unfavorable.

Lightning flew over to a nearby golem, and whistled at the cyclone.

"Yo, guys!" Lightning called to them. "I'm right here!"

The cyclone then began moving towards her, but Lightning flew away from it, causing the golem to be sucked into the vortex instead. Then Lightning did the same with every other golem in the area, until nearly every golem was trapped inside the shadowy tornado, which was getting larger and larger by the minute.

"Come on, guys!" Lightning shouted to them. "I can't be that hard to miss! My grandpa could catch me better than you, and he's dead!"

The tornado was now wheeling itself towards her, even faster than before. Lightning flew away, leading it out of Mareusalem until it was right below the Summerstar. Lightning flew below the cargo bay, and shouted:

"Teddy! You're up!"

Teddy and Trixie were standing at the edge of the cargo door with a barrel of TNT from Fort Echidna. Trixie used her magical energy to light the fuse, while Teddy hastily shoved it over the edge. The barrel dropped into the tornado, which started to contract and then expand like a balloon before exploding into a massive cloud of red-hot ash.

"Nice work, guys!" Lightning called up to Teddy and Trixie.

Sunset Shimmer and the others were racing across the ramshackle streets of Mareusalem to get to the palace. Along the way, the unicorns found themselves blasting aside the remaining golems and shadow-ponies. As they pressed on towards the palace, more paladins from other parts of the city joined them. They came to the plaza, where Silver Schmitar, Felix Summerset, and Chrome Shield were together waiting for them.

"Good, you're all here." Silver Schmitar said to Sunset Shimmer and the others when they arrived. "We'll need your magic to unseal the doors into the palace. Once those shadows blocking the entrance are gone, we'll have King Nelphyn right where we want him."

"Right." said Sunset. "We'll see what we can do."

"Let me help, dear." said Golden Sun.

"Go ahead then, dad." said Sunset.

The father and daughter went up the stairs to the palace entrance, and approached the sealed door, which was covered in a mysterious black ooze. Felix and a few other paladins quickly joined them.

"What kind of spell should we use, dad?" Sunset asked. "Incendiary spell?"

" I do think that would be worth a shot." smiled Golden Sun.

The two blasted the shadows with streams of fire, and they dissipated. The doors to the palace were once again laid bare. At that moment, Silver Schmitar and several other paladins came up the stairs.

"You can leave the rest to us." said Silver, while the other paladins forced the doors open. "You've already been through enough."

"You have no idea." said Sunset.

Silver Schmitar went inside, disappearing into the darkly-lit corridors. Sunset, her father, and the others went in with the paladins shortly afterwards. Eventually they caught up to the paladins, who had all stopped in what appeared to a dead end.

"What's going on?" Sunset asked. "Why did you stop? King Nelphyn still has to be defeated! Where's the throne room?"

"We're in the throne room." said Silver, grimly. "Go ahead. Light the room."

Sunset's horn glowed until a bright light illuminated the entire chamber. They could see all the artwork and furniture one would expect to see in a throne room, but one feature was severely lacking: occupants.

"All those losses, all those weeks of planning..." said Silver Schmitar. "All that pain and suffering...and for nothing!"

He took a javelin from a nearby paladin, then furiously plunged it so hard into the ground that it broke through the flagstones, even as the shaft split apart. Even in the green light of Sunset's aura, the others could tell he was silently weeping for a brief moment. Then he calmed down, and spoke to the others.

"Search the palace." said Silver. "If there is anypony still alive in here, I want them brought to me."

Creatures in the Deep, Part 1

"So, we go to all da trouble of flyin' ovuh here, and fightin' through a buncha gruesome bad guys..." said Frosty. "Only for the biggest bad of 'em all to just stand us up. What, does he think we're all idiots or somethin'?"

"Well, I wouldn't put him past it to believe that, considering how many ponies here would qualify." said Pressure, who was tending to an injured paladin.

"Ah, shuddit." Frosty spat.

"Will you two cut it out?" said Scarlet Blaze.

"Okay, let's all just take a deep breath here." said Nose Nip, who started to pant. "Hey, don't it feel a little...hot in here?"

Sunset Shimmer and the others noticed this, too. Even though it was extremely dark, almost pitch-black inside the palace chambers, they could feel a lot of dry heated air.

"Think there might be a dragon in this place somewhere?" asked Trixie, concerned.

"Ah! Don't be so worried, Miss Trixie." said Felix Summerset. "This heat is simply the climate of our land at work."

"Well, the climate must be trying to kill us!" said Trixie, whose horn started to glow. "I must request a more bearable environment."

"Well, then you should've just stayed home, cousin." said Pressure Point, dryly. "We're in the middle of a desert, not some tropical island."

"Do not mock Trixie!" Trixie spat at Pressure in the darkness.

Suddenly, there was a loud popping noise and a burst of red light nearby, and Trixie squealed and involuntarily leapt into the front hooves of a nearby stallion.

"Wh..what the--" Trixie shuddered, before she recognized the source of the light.

Sunflower just came in, tossing flares here and there on the floor.

"Seriously, we playin' blind-mares'-bluff in he' or what?" said Sunflower, once she set all the flares in the throne room and corridors. "Do ya have any idea how many flares me and Crimz had ta throw around to get dis place lit? Twenty-five. Yeah, I counted it!"

"I'm surprised she can count that high." Pressure Point mumbled nearby, just out of Sunflower's hearing-range.

After a few minutes, paladins started to return from the chambers, bringing liberated prisoners with them. Most of them were famished or visibly wounded, like they were just escorted out of a death camp. They all sat down in a row, where Pressure would check them for lasting injuries. Later still, paladins started coming in from the city. As it turned out, they had counted a hundred and sixty of their own deceased or missing, during the siege and the subsequent surprise attacks. The townspeople were all hiding in underground cellars and even the sewers to avoid being imprisoned by King Nelphyn's minions. They had also done a thorough search of the streets and buildings, but King Nelphyn was nowhere to be seen. This troubled Silver Schmitar and Sunset Shimmer very much.

"We will have to search the palace even further." said Silver. "We must check the Stripways."

"Stripways?" repeated Sunset Shimmer.

"Underneath the palace, there are mine shafts that have been abandoned for centuries." said Silver. "It's possible that King Nelphyn may have re-opened them, and made his escape. I can only pray that he didn't..."

"Why?" said Sunset. "Are the tunnels unstable?"

"No." said Silver. "There's something else down there. Something not even the sultan would know about."

"What is it?" asked Sunset. "Is there a...monster or something down there?"

Silver Schmitar looked Sunset in the eyes. Though he didn't say anything, Sunset only needed to read the uneasy and cautious look in his eyes to tell that she might as well be right.

Sunset Shimmer and Golden Sun were led by Silver and Felix down to the lower dungeons of the palace, which was still unnaturally dark. Behind them, Radiant Dawn, Lightning Dust, Crimson Blade, Scarlet Blaze, and several paladins followed. They entered the dungeons, and ventured through them until they found a narrow pathway that appeared to have once been obstructed by a now-destroyed barricade.

"Just as I feared." said Silver Schmitar. "King Nelphyn must have discovered this passage and used it to make his escape into the Stripways."

"Doesn't it seem weird that somepony as powerful as Nelphyn would decide to just retreat instead of standing his ground here in the palace?" asked Sunset.

"Miss Sunset is right." said Felix. "It does seem very unusual, even if King Nelphyn were some coward."

"And if King Nelphyn did retreat, he wouldn't need some secret passage to run away." said Sunset. "With the Alicorn Amulet in his possession, he could probably teleport halfway across Saddle Arabia without anyone knowing about it."

"Then obviously, Nelphyn didn't actually go into the Stripways." said Silver.

"But all signs point to something that might've gotten out..." Golden Sun pointed, to the rubble that once formed the barricade. "Look, it's all inside the dungeon. That must mean something broke into the palace during King Nelphyn's occupation. But what?"

There was a dripping noise from above, and something very dark and wet dropped onto Lightning Dust's head with a nauseating plop! and a horrid stench filled the air.

"Eww..." Lightning moaned in disgust, as she tried brushing the substance off with her front hooves.

Suddenly, a larger dark form dropped down from the ceiling, and smacked down hard on the floor.

Sunset Shimmer's horn glowed, illuminating the creature. The thing was very skeletal and had six legs. Its mouth was frothing with the black fluid and the stench became stronger.

"What is that thing?!" said Sunset.

"No...not them!" said Silver.

The creature let out a screech, and crept backwards on its hind legs. It suddenly, opened up a shell on its abdomen and sprouted two large transparent wings from underneath. The creature's mouth opened wider and wider, but then Silver grabbed a javelin from a nearby paladin, and threw it forward. The insectoid creature was impaled through its mouth, the javelin's pointed end protruding from the back of the armored scalp. It gagged and fell over dead.

"What...what was that?" said Lightning Dust, in a panicked voice as she still tried brushing the black substance out of her mane.

"That was the reason our ancestors closed the Stripways all those years ago." said Silver.

"Megamites." said Golden Sun, muttering aloud.

"Megamites?" asked Radiant.

"Yes." said Golden Sun. "I did research on them when I was a student at Baltimare University. They supposedly went extinct a thousand years ago...in Equestria, anyway."

"Us Saddle Arabians aren't so fortunate, professor." said a paladin. "What you're looking at is a member of the last known colony of...those things in the known world."

"Our ancestors stumbled into their nesting place by complete accident centuries ago while mining in the Stripways. So we sealed off the entrances hoping they would starve themselves out." said Silver, grimly. "Clearly, this didn't happen."

"Of course not." said Golden Sun. "Megamites can remain dormant for centuries as long as they aren't disturbed."

"Three guesses what woke them up." said Scarlet, dryly.

"But when they are woken up, they enter a frenzied state of being that lasts for...five or six years." said Golden Sun. "Especially during mating season."

"Mating season?!" Radiant and Sunset said at once.

"I'm afraid so." said Golden Sun, walking over to examine the dead mite. "It looks like this particular specimen you just kill, Silver, was a drone. If my recollection of Insects of the Ancient World is still faithful, I'd say it was looking for a suitable mate. When it finds one, it sprays its chosen partner with...the same fluid Lightning has in her mane right now."

"What?!" said Lightning. "Oh, come on! I already have a boyfriend!"

"And it gets worse from there." said Golden Sun, nervously.

"Why?" asked Sunset. "Why, daddy?"

"When a drone chooses its mate, it must fight for its right to keep its partner with any other drone nearby. And since Silver just skewered this one, that means the chosen mate will be...up for grabs. And since drones can't tell friend from foe when they smell the scent..."

Suddenly, there was a series of loud clicking and buzzing noises coming from the entrance to the Stripways, signifying that more mites were approaching.

"We're going to have a lot of pests to exterminate." said Scarlet, her horn glowing.

Indeed, there were perhaps a dozen of the winged mites all climbing the walls and ceiling. All of them were chittering furiously as raced towards the group of ponies.

"Let's get 'em!" Radiant shouted, his own horn glowing.

The drones flooded into the dungeons, which became engulfed in combat. In two minutes, thanks to the combined efforts of the paladins and unicorns, the dungeons were littered with dead mites. The paladins took a moments to pile the dead insects together in a corner, and then regrouped with the others.

"Well, thank Celestia that was taken care of." said Lightning.

"We may have gotten rid of these drones, but there are still bound to be even more in the Stripways." said Golden Sun. "And if it's mating season, then that means that even more drones--and their mates--will be flying out of the nesting area to start new colonies..."

"And their route will inevitably take them through...our palace!" said Felix, daunted.

"No wonder King Nelphyn didn't stick around." said Sunset. "He probably would've anticipated that they would pass through here."

"Really, Nelphyn can't stand up to a few...giant, very...gross bugs?" said Lightning.

"I doubt that." said Radiant. "I don't know what he's planning, but it was probably never here to begin with."

"But King Nelphyn will have to wait." said Silver. "We have to go into the Stripways, find the nesting area, and stop any more of these creatures from entering the palace...or worse."

"We have to go in there?" said Lightning. "The Changelings were bad enough when they were our enemies."

"Yeah, but at least these Megamites don't use magic, so they shouldn't be as hard to deal with." said Radiant.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." said Silver. "But we will need all the help we can get to kill those abominations once and for all."

"We don't have to kill all of them." said Golden Sun. "Just the ones capable of reproducing...and of course, the ones that attack us."

"Well, that's very specific." said Lightning.

"Lightning, you might want to come with us." said Golden Sun.

"Wh-why?" said Lightning. "I already got bug spit in my hair, now you want me to go in there?"

"The scent you carry will only make the mites leave the tunnels to look for you." said Golden Sun. "If you stay with us, you'll be safe. Besides, the aroma might even make them think you were one of their own."

"If the scent won't make them hurt me, then why would it be safer for me in there than out here?" asked Lightning.

"Because if you stay out here, the more likely the mites will leave to attack everypony around you to get you back into their colony." said Golden Sun. "They really like to watch over their own, you see."

"Okay, I think that makes sense." said Lightning. "Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice then."

Creatures in the Deep, Part 2

Sunset Shimmer and the others proceeded down into the Stripways, which were long, dark, and cluttered with abandoned mining equipment: wagons, wheelbarrows, lanterns, pick-axes, and rusty shovels. They were on alert for any signs of movement or clicking mandibles. Fortunately, they didn't come across either in the tunnels and all they could smell was the musk left in Lightning Dust's mane. However, this only made it harder to track any other signs of approaching mites.

"Dude, I seriously need to take a bath or something." said Lightning, after a while. "This bug-juice is--"

Suddenly, there was a rustling nearby, and Lightning involuntarily jumped onto Radiant Dawn's back with her teeth barred.

"What...what was that?!" she said, whimpering.

Sunset Shimmer's horn illuminated over the spot where Lightning heard the noise, revealing what was undoubtedly insectoid creature. However, it was much smaller than the drones, no bigger than a Pomeranian. It also appeared to be eyeless, but had two small antennae on its head, and mandibles no bigger than a dime. Its body was a pale gray-brown, and had six rail-thin legs.

It was turning its head idly, as if to examine its surroundings. It made a soft chittering noise, then crawled forwards. Silver Schmitar held up a javelin to plunge down into the creature, but Golden Sun intervened.

"Hang on." said Golden Sun. "This is just a larva. It's safe."

"Are you sure, daddy?" asked Sunset.

"I'm sure." said Golden Sun. "It should be perfectly docile, as long as one of us doesn't try hurting it."

Lightning went over to it, relieved.

"Aww, it's adorable!" she sighed. "Come here, little guy!"

She picked it up and hovered in the air, cradling the baby insect in her hooves. Suddenly, there was an even louder noise from the same direction, and a dark pony-sized shape emerged from the gloom. The other ponies saw it was a fully-grown Megamite, though it wasn't quite the same as the drones they fought in the palace. It looked just like the larva, but bigger, had visible eyes, thicker legs, and sported a darker exoskeleton. It crawled forward, turning its head as if to determine whether the ponies present would be a threat, until it turned its eyes turned on Lightning Dust. Silver Schmitar and the other paladins braced for attack, but held their ground.

"No sudden movements." Golden Sun whispered. "Not until we know what it's going to do."

The mite opened its Bowie knife-sized mandibles, and reached towards Lightning Dust...only to gingerly take the larva out of her hooves and crawl away with it. The larva squirmed a little, as if to break free, but accepted its new handler.

"That must have been a worker." said Golden Sun. "I read that they only attack what they see as a threat."

"But didn't you say they were protective of their own kind?" asked Sunset. "So how come it didn't attack us?"

“And weren’t they supposed to be in a frenzied state?” asked one of the paladins.

"Hmm..." said Golden Sun. "I'm guessing because of the musk on Lightning Dust's body--and the Megamite blood on Silver’s paladins, It must have thought we were members of the colony, and thus didn't think we would have any reason to hurt its larva. With all the pheromone trails running through this nest, any drones or young queens might end up confused if they tried searching for mates in here. That’s why they leave the nest before trying to mate."

"Lucky us, right?" asked Lightning Dust.

Suddenly, a rapid series of clinking noises were heard around them, and a dozen mites surrounded the ponies. They resembled larger versions of the worker, but with even larger mandibles, legs as thick as tree branches, big crested heads, and ridged thoraxes.

"Soldiers!" said Golden Sun. "Oh boy, why did they have to be soldiers?"

"That's bad, right?" asked Sunset.

"Oh, yes." said Golden Sun. "The soldiers are the toughest mites in each colony...and the smartest, too."

"And that means what, dad?" asked Radiant Dawn.

"It means no amount of musk will make them think we belong here, unless the queen allows." said Golden Sun. "It's their job to make sure nothing foreign enters the colony and leaves alive."

"These must have been what drove our ancestors out of the mines." said Felix Summerset, observantly.

There was a noise that vaguely resembled radio static, and the soldiers screeched angrily, and closed in around the ponies.

"Wait a minute." Sunset said, looking at the soldiers' heads.

She noticed that there was a third "eye" on their heads, right behind their antennae. Around the "eye" was what appeared to be machinery of some kind.

"Wait a second!" she said. "Something's controlling them."

Suddenly, there was a loud blast of feedback. A distorted male voice called to them.

"Brilliant observation!" said the voice. "But that doesn't mean you'll get out of here with all your lives!"

The soldiers gnashed their mandibles in response to this.

"You all have twenty seconds to explain what you're all doing here before I sent the entire colony on you!"

"We're...we're here to stop the Megamites from entering the palace." said Sunset, quickly.

"Sorry, my little pony, but I'm afraid I can't allow that to happen. Not while that tyrant controls the city!"

"King Nelphyn isn't controlling the palace anymore!" Radiant Dawn shouted. "We cleared the place out hours ago!"

"Oh, did you really?" said the voice with much skepticism. "Did the idea that he might come back ever enter your miniscule brains?!"

"Just who in the world are you, anyway?" Scarlet Blaze demanded. "You sure don't sound like a bug!"

"How clever of you, my dear." said the voice. "At least somepony can--wait a minute...is that Golden Sun with you? Evelyn, would you kindly move closer?"

One of the soldier mites crawled forward until it was looking Golden Sun dead in the face. The artificial eye zoomed in and out on his head.

"Well, I never thought I'd see a familiar face so far from Equestria." said the voice, as the electronic eye shifted in and out.

"Professor Autumn, is that you?" asked Golden Sun, surprised.

Suddenly, a rock started to shift to the side, and a dark equine shape dropped down from the ceiling. It was clearly a pony, but he was wearing a strange helmet and boots that looked distinctly insectoid.

"Well, it's always great to meet a former student--and of course, colleague--of mine." said the pony, approaching Golden Sun.

"Autumn, it's great to see you!" Golden Sun said, approaching the helmeted pony.

He put his front hooves to give him a hug, but the soldier mites gnashed their mandibles.

"Take it easy, girls!" said Professor Autumn to the mites, who promptly crept back.

"Wait a minute, these mites are yours?" said Golden Sun.

"Um...most of them are." said Autumn. "I'll explain later, but now I ought to introduce myself to the others. I am Professor Leaf Autumn , formerly of Manehatten University and the University of Baltimare."

"Professor Autumn was one of my mentors when I was a college student." Golden Sun explained to his family.

"And I stuck around long enough to see him become a professor himself." said Autumn.

"Whoever you are, you have a lot of explaining to do." Felix said, his eyes narrowed. "Why are you down here, and in the company of these dangerous insects?"

"Well, let's see." said Leaf Autumn. "I was on vacation here in Saddle Arabia a few weeks ago, and was visiting the palace archives, when next thing I know, the entire city's been invaded by King Nelphyn and his horrid trio."

"You mean the Maul-Ras?" said Sunset Shimmer.

"Ah, yes." said Autumn. "Peculiar things, they are. No doubt about that. Ah! Anyway, while King Nelphyn was going around doing Celestia-knows-what, I decided to find an alternate means of escaping the palace. And I came upon these tunnels."

"So you're the one that opened the Stripways..." said Silver Schmitar, sourly.

"Yes, I know." said Autumn. "I admit I was hasty by going into these mines, but I assure you I meant no harm to your citizens at all. In fact, that's what I've been doing down here; I've been working on a number of devices that I believe could get these Megamites to help liberate Mareusalem."

"And...did you succeed?" asked Radiant Dawn.

"In some ways, yes." said Autumn, scratching his head. "But not completely. I've able to get the soldiers to listen to me, and the workers are passive as it is. But I'm afraid the drones and young queens are...another story."

"That would explain why the drones are the ones that attacked us." Sunset told her father.

"Yes, I've tried to get them under control, and I thought I succeeded for a while." said Autumn. "But there's just no controlling them around mating season."

"Tell me about it." said Radiant.

"Listen, I'm so sorry about what happened with the ones you encountered out there." said Autumn. "They were out of my control. But since you seem to have already wiped out most of the drones, I'm sure I can find a way to keep the rest under control."

"That's a relief." said Golden Sun.

"But Professor Autumn, we're still going to need to deal with Nelphyn." said Sunset.

"Of course, we will." said Autumn. "Just step into my office."

They were all led into a large chamber behind the moved rock. There were a number of high-tech gadgets lined up on the walls.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" asked Radiant Dawn.

"This is all leftover from the university's glory days." said Professor Autumn. "In fact, most of it was designed by me. When the university's budget collapsed, I took my tech--and my research--elsewhere. I thought I would benefit the Saddle Arabians with my teachings about...well, I guess I already told you all the rest."

"Tell me, you wouldn't know what the Elder Rock is, would you?" asked Sunset Shimmer, who just remembered the name.

"Oh, yes." Leaf Autumn said. "It's said to be a rock that fell from the heavens long ago, around the time the Empire of Megalon was crushed by an unknown enemy. It was also the namesake of the ancient city of Al-Duroc."

"Al-Duroc?" asked Radiant. "Where's that?"

"Fifty leagues North of here." said Professor Autumn. "Apparently, it's been abandoned for centuries, but nopony's allowed to go there. Some kind of local superstition, and it's apparently the breeding ground of many dangerous creatures."

"Leagues?" repeated Lightning Dust.

"A league is a unit of distance." said Golden Sun. "Equivalent to three miles, much like how a yard is considered equivalent to three feet."

"So we're going to have to travel a hundred-and-fifty miles North, huh?" said Sunset Shimmer.

"If you plan on going there, but whyever would you?" asked Silver Schmitar.

"Because I have a hunch that's where we'll find King Nelphyn." said Sunset.

"I've sent soldiers there many times, but none ever lived to tell the tale." said Silver. "An omen and a curse befall all who set hoof in its ruins. Not to mention that most of the city is deep underground, buried beneath the sands of both time and the unforgiving wastelands above. Going there would mean certain doom, even for the greatest of our champions."

"True, but if we hang around doing nothing, King Nelphyn could strike again and do something even worse. If you think what he did to Mareusalem is bad, just imagine what he could do to the rest of Saddle Arabia, or even to the neighboring lands."

"I agree." said Silver. "We must act as soon as we can. But Mareusalem and the other cities will still need to be protected from potential invasion, given how unpredictable our enemy is. I don't know how many paladins I can spare for such a crusade."

"Perhaps I may be able to help." said Professor Autumn, clearing his throat.

"What do you have in mind?" asked Silver Schmitar.

"Well, since Al-Duroc is mostly underground, perhaps some of these Megamites help you dig a safer route inside?"

"Really?" said Sunset. "They can do that?"

"Sure!" said Professor Autumn. "The mites are fantastic when it comes to burrowing holes. In fact, it only took them twenty minutes to dig out the chamber we're standing in."

"But how would we get them to do what we want?" asked Scarlet Blaze. "They don't exactly seem interested in helping ponies...apart from you, anyway."

"Well, the drones and soldiers might not." said Leaf Autumn. "But the workers may do the job. They're clever though not too ambitious, but if you give them a comfortable environment to work in, the right incentive, and feed them plenty of food, they'll do any job you set their minds to. Yes, even if you're not their queen."

"Really." said Golden Sun. "How fascinating."

"I'm sure they could even help your city, master paladin." Autumn said to Silver. "By the sound of things, King Nelphyn really made a mess of it."

"Wow, I'm glad we didn't attack the workers, then." said Lightning. "I guess It'd be pretty cool to have some of those bugs around, after all."

"You are gonna let us use some of them, right?" asked Radiant Dawn.

"Well..." said Autumn. "I would certainly say 'yes', but here's the thing...I've never actually tried moving workers out of the colony, except for short periods of time. The soldiers get very restless when workers are away, and they've been known to go out and drag them back inside if they've been absent for too long."

"Well, we'll just have to try something, then." said Sunset.

The Path to the King, Part 1

Lionel Summerset was sitting in his cell once again, when a jailor approached his door.

"Mr. Summerset, you've got another visitor."

"Very well." said Lionel, without turning to look. "Who is it this time?"

"Helllllooooo, Mr. Summerset." said a mare's voice, with a sickeningly sweet tone in her voice.

Lionel turned his eye, and saw a magenta unicorn with a purple-and-blue mane and blue eyes standing at the door. He frowned even lower.

"Well, if it isn't my old business apprentice." he said, sternly. "Starlight Glimmer, what brings you to my corner of Equestria?"

"I heard about what happened, and that you were arrested!" said Starlight, with a melodramatically concerned tone in her voice. "It sounded so...horrible, so I came here as fast as I could."

"Starlight, you may be able to fool those idiot country-ponies, but not me." said Lionel. "So spare me the theatrics and tell me what you want."

"Oh, Mr. Summerset, I think you know what I want." said Starlight, whose face started to grin wickedly.

"Well, then by all means." Lionel grinned, lifting his hoof up in an invitational gesture. "Come in here and take it."

Starlight nodded, and teleported into the cell.

"Your cutie mark's gonna be mine, boss." said Starlight. "Don't worry, I'll put it to good use."

She strained her horn, then groaned in frustration.

"What...what's going on?" Starlight whispered, frantically. "Why isn't my magic working?!"

"Disabling field." said Lionel, proudly. "I requested that my cell be reinforced by it. Cancels out all that pesky magic unicorns like you simply love to conjure up. Even spells cast by the likes of you."

Then he seized Starlight from the neck and held her up to his face.

"So whatever you were planning to do with my cutie mark, it's not going to happen." said Lionel. "I may be serving a prison sentence, but that doesn't make me completely helpless. Even in captivity, I have power."

Then he loosened his grip on Starlight, who dropped to the floor, and started coughing.

"Very clever, Mr. Summerset." groaned Starlight. "Very clever. Just when I think I've bested you, you always stay a step ahead of me."

"Four steps." said Lionel Summerset, gesturing down at his hooves with a smug grin. "But it's above me to insult my competition's intelligence."

"Insult my--" Starlight began, when the door in the prison corridor audibly opened up again. "How dare you!"

"Take it easy, little Starlight." said Lionel, calmly.

He put his hoof down on Starlight's back and pressed her down to the floor. Then he approached the cell door so that Starlight was hidden from view. He peered out to watch the jailors pass by, then turned to face Starlight again once they were out of earshot. Once he was sure that the jailors had left again, he suddenly brandished a plastic key from the sleeve of his jumpsuit, and inserted it into the cell's keyhole. He gingerly opened the cell door, and gestured for Starlight to leave.

"Wait..." said Starlight. "You could leave any time you wanted?"

"I helped make this city what it is today." said Lionel Summerset. "So of course I would know every way in and out of it, and be prepared if anything went...awry."

"Then why stay here?" asked Starlight.

"Because doing so allows me to preserve my public image. It would take years for me to show my face again in public if I made a jailbreak too soon. As for you, though, you're free to leave. And as a bonus, I'll give us both the opportunity to pretend this little exchange never happened."

"What...why--?" Starlight said, slightly confused.

"You're a manipulative trickster, young Starlight." said Lionel. "Perhaps even more so than me. But you're what I taught you to be. So I certainly wouldn't want to hinder the work of those directly influenced by me."

"My views are my own, Mr. Summerset." said Starlight.

"And yet, they're completely insincere." countered Lionel. "Even I admit what I've done would be considered...morally unethical by others. Maybe someday, you'll come to reflect on the decisions you've made on your own. But by all means, go out there and prove me wrong."

"With pleasure, Mr. Summerset." said Starlight.

Starlight trotted out of the cell, and teleported away. Lionel then shut his cell door, and re-locked it.

"They grow up so fast." he muttered in a deadpan tone.

"C'mon, ya stupid--ugh!" Frosty strained himself as he telekinetically pushed a Megamite worker out the entrance to the colony, and then groaned in dismay when the worker crawled back inside.

He and the others had been called down to help get some of the Megamites to leave the colony to help them, but their attempts were unsuccessful; every time they tried moving a mite outside, it would always return. Even Nose Nip and Teddy weren't able to carry them out since they would either break free or a soldier would approach and threateningly gnash their mandibles at them, prompting them to let them go. Trixie tried to cast a number of spells to scare the workers out and wound up damaging the antennae of a nearby soldier with a stray projectile. Said soldier then started screeching furiously and charged at Trixie with impressive speed. This mistake would've surely costed Trixie her life, if Pressure Point hadn't arrived at the moment, and used his magic to calm the mite and mend its antennae. The soldier then grumbled in a garbled language, then left with its head tilted up in disapproval.

"Ah...forget it." said Frosty, going back to the others. "Gettin' these bugs outta here ain't gonna happen. They don't seem ta like leavin'."

"I guess it's just where they're meant to be." said Sunset Shimmer, exhibiting sympathy.

"I should've suspected such." said Professor Autumn. "The workers' place is with their queen, here in the colony. Sorry, everypony."

"It's all right, Autumn." said Golden Sun. "You told me yourself that you should always test your theories out to make sure they'll work."

"That I did." said Autumn, grinning slightly.

"But at least we know where we're supposed to go now." said Silver Schmitar. "Everypony, disperse!"

Silver and the other paladins went back up to the palace.

"I guess we'd better go, too." said Sunset. "See ya later, professor!"

"Anytime, my little pony." said Autumn. "Anytime."

Sunset and the others left, when suddenly there was a clicking noise. The others looked back, and saw a larva scurrying after Lightning Dust.

"Hey, that's the one from earlier, ain't it?" asked Lightning Dust. "Wanna come along with us, little guy?"

The larva approached Lightning Dust, and allowed her to pick it up. The larva squealed like a harmless piglet, and clicked some more. It swiveled in place, then curled into a ball-like shape.

"Interesting." said Autumn. "It must think you're its caregiver."

"So I can keep him?" asked Lightning.

"Actually, I think that the larva is female." corrected Autumn. "But yes, I guess if the larva wants to go with you, then the choice is up to you."

"Then I'm totally gonna keep her." said Lightning. "She just soooo cute!"

"Okay, enough wit da mushy stuff!" said Frosty. "Let's am-scray back to the Summerstar and do somethin' about dat King Nelphyn guy."

"Oh...right." Lightning blushed.

"And you're certain about this?" asked the sultan.

"Very certain, your majesty." said Sunset Shimmer.

"So there is an entire colony of ancient insects still living under our palace, and somepony was able to bend them to his will?"

"Not necessarily." said Golden Sun. "They're still very independent of themselves. But I can assure you that they're not going to attack the palace anytime soon. We made sure of that."

"So they're all dead, then?" asked the sultan.

"Only the drones and new queens." said Golden Sun. "The ones capable of leaving the colony to start new ones. The others seem to have no interest whatsoever in leaving their tunnels."

"Then you have my thanks, Professor Sun." said the sultan.

"Oh, I can't take all the credit." said Golden Sun. "I had help..."

"Hey, will ya guys c'mon?!" Frosty called to them, his head sticking between the double doors to the throne room. "We got a ruined city ta dig up!"

"Okay, Frosty!" said Sunset. "Just give us a sec."

She turned to the sultan.

"Sir, could it be possible for us to have some paladins come with us?"

"I'm afraid not." said the sultan. "I shall need everypony available to watch over the city, and make sure King Nelphyn's creatures don't re-enter our walls."

"Not even Felix?" asked Sunset.

"I am sorry, Miss Sunset." said Felix Summerset, who appeared at that moment. "You and your friends have been marvelous company. Strange, but still marvelous. But my loyalty goes to the sultan and the paladin's code first and foremost. So I'm afraid it's time to say farewell...for now."

"Thanks, anyway." said Sunset, giving him a salute. "Good luck, Felix."

"Good luck, Miss Sunset." Felix gave Sunset a salute of his own.

Sunset Shimmer and the others were on the Summerstar, which was preparing to take off.

"Okay, everypony ready?" asked Sunset.

"Ready!" said the others at once.

"Then everypony's here?" said Sunset, before adding: "Well, apart from a certain somepony."

"You mean me?" said a voice from the ramp.

Sunset and the others turned, and saw Daring Do leaning against the entryway, all dressed in her explorer's gear.

"You missed me?" she said to them, slyly.

"Heck yeah!" said Lightning Dust, flying up to her. "Welcome back to the team, Daring!"

She gave her a big hug, squeezing her tight.

"It's..." Daring shook Lightning away. "It's nice to see you, too. Congrats on your promotion, too."

"What're you doing here, though?" asked Sunset Shimmer. "Shouldn't you be working on your next book or something?"

"Um...I had a little writer's block, so I came to Saddle Arabia for some background notes." said Daring Do, casually. "And I heard you were flying around in that oversized balloon again, so I thought I'd tag along to see what you were doing. I meant to get here sooner, but I ran into a roadblock or two..."

She paused for a moment.

"And...?" asked Sunset.

"And I heard about King Nelphyn." Daring adopted a more serious tone. "I think you ought to know--"

"Oh, we already know where King Nelphyn's holed up." said Frosty.

"Maybe, but do you actually know how you'll actually get to him once you find the place?"

"Uh..." said Frosty.

"Exactly." said Daring Do. "Well, I'm going to stick around to help. It's the least I could do for Las Pegasus."

"Then welcome aboard." said Sunset Shimmer, with a smile.

The Path to the King, Part 2

The Summerstar ascended into the air. As it flew across the cloudless sky, Sunset and the others gathered at the bridge. Sunset Shimmer magically conjured a blackboard with her magic, and began etching notes on the circumstances that surrounded their mission.

"Okay, so we know that King Nelphyn's city is buried deep underneath the desert, so we're going to need to do a lot of digging if we can't find another way down there."

"I could do that." said Maud, holding up her hoof casually.

"And I can help her." added Nose Nip. "I mean...if you'd like, Maud."

"That would be wonderful, Nose Nip." said Maud.

"Also, we need to remember the creatures we've faced before." said Sunset, continuing scrawling notes on the board. "The shadow-ponies, the golems, and also the various deities we've encountered on the way here. Jarukia, Mordikaukis, and the like. And that's not going into King Nelphyn himself. With the Alicorn Amulet, he could do any number of unspeakable things to us, and to the rest of Saddle Arabia. Between him and his Maul-Ras, he was able to wipe out a lot of the Chrysalis Syndicate last month. And in a world where Equestrian magic was next to non-existent. So Trixie, since you and I are the only ones present to use the Alicorn Amulet, I'll need you to help me find a way to get the Alicorn Amulet away from him."

"Got it." said Trixie. "Perhaps the Alicorn Amulet will long to be back in the hooves of its true owner."

She closed her eyes, and pressed a hoof against her chest.

"Well, I'd say right now that anypony would be better off with the Alicorn Amulet than King Nelphyn." said Sunset, blankly. "Though I've gotta admire how he was able to harness the power of the Alicorn Amulet despite not being a unicorn or even a Changeling."

"Whatever he plans to do, I'm sure Daring and I can find a way to counter it." said Golden Sun.

"Also, since we're going to be navigating a dark underground city that's probably never been visited in thousands of years, we're probably going to bring as much equipment with us as possible."

"And maybe a few weapons, too." added Teddy. "I mean, just in case."

Suddenly, Crimson Blade entered the room with Sunflower, and dropped a pile of bulky objects in the middle of the bridge.

"Father...what is this stuff?" asked Scarlet Blaze.

"Weapons." said Crimson, gruffly. "Sunflower and I were working on them."

"They're sho' ta pack a punch!" said Sunflower.

"We made them out of what we found lying around the zeppelin." said Crimson, levitating one of the large weapons. "Mostly spare parts found in the engine room and regular appliances."

The weapon in question appeared to be comprised of old lead pipes, a welding-torch, parts of a miniaturized steam engine, a gas can, and an old-fashioned vacuum-cleaner.

"What's that supposed to be, a makeshift flamethrower?" asked Sunset.

"You can call it a...'Furnace Blaster'." said Crimson Blade. "But yes, that's basically what it is."

Then he showed them another weapon, which was also comprised of steam engine parts, but also had metallic belts and other objects running through it. It looked like a very bulky steampunk-styled shotgun, but with a very large trigger.

"This is a 'Cluster Buster'." said Crimson. "It shoots entire cluster of projectiles at once."

"What kind of ammo does it use?" asked Radiant.

"Anything small enough it fit inside its barrels." Crimson explained. "Rocks, nails, screws, silverware, you name it."

Then he set the Cluster Buster down, and levitated a box of cylindrical objects made from strings and lead pipes.

"Pipe-bombs." he said. "I got the gunpowder from the powder kegs your friends brought with you from Fort Echidna. I only had time to make one batch, so use them wisely."

"Hey, that's cool and all." said Teddy. "But did you make anything that couldn't potentially get each other killed in the heat of a battle?"

"Of course." said Crimson, levitating a half dozen steampunk-looking rifles into the air. "These are flare guns. They should be able to launch the flares that are stocked in the armoury, for when we're underground."

"Father?" Scarlet questioned, concerned. "How do you know how to build these things, anyway?"

"Because when I was still with the Neo-Templars, I had seen these kinds of weapons being made all the time." said Crimson. "In fact, I helped make some of them."

Sunset and the others look at him with shocked expressions on their faces.

"In fact, the Cluster Buster was one of my own ideas." Crimson told Scarlet. "It was inspired by you, daughter. You and your ability to cast clusters of spells at once made probably one of the most powerful homemade weapons Equestria's ever seen."

"I...think I need a moment." said Scarlet, breathlessly.

She laid on the ground looking at the various weapons her father had made, staring in awe. Sunset did the same, but in horror.

"And...where did the templars get the idea for these kinds of weapons, anyway?" Sunset asked, equally as breathlessly as her mother.

"From Firewing." said Crimson. "Apparently the very first of these were inspired by weapons the Canterlot Royal Guard confiscated from recent intruders of Canterlot Castle."

"The Chrysalis Syndicate." Sunset muttered. "Of course, when they crossed into our world, they must've left some of their weapons behind."

"But the weapons that were confiscated had very small triggers and ringlets around them, so hooved creatures could scarcely use them. So we had to make our own versions of them with enlarged handles and triggers that were...pony-friendly. 'Pony-friendly' being a loose word, of course."

"I'll say." said Golden Sun. "If these weapons are as potent as you make them out to be, then the templars could give even the most elite of the Canterlot Royal Guard a run for their money."

"That's been the idea." said Crimson. "Thankfully, these weapons haven't been mass-assembled...yet. We were only able to make a few of these before Fort Echidna was raided. Which is probably why you haven't seen these so much."

"And why there was only one Gatling Gun in that fort, right?" asked Radiant.

"That's right, Radiant Dawn." said Crimson Blade. "But since these weapons are strictly experimental, I can't guarantee most of them will even work. Especially since they were so hastily assembled."

"So what are you saying?" asked Scarlet.

"I'm saying there's just as much a chance that they'll injure you as whatever you're planning to shoot at."

"Well, what's life without a little danger?" Frosty said. "But I don't think I'd need one of those weapons, anyway. I'm a unicorn and can use all the magic I want."

"Me, too." said Pressure Point. "Besides, I'm a doctor, not an assassin."

"Well, if anyone else wants to use these weapons, then by all means...take them." said Crimson.

Maud Pie grabbed the Cluster Buster, Sunflower, Daring Do, and Teddy took flare guns and pipe-bombs, while Nose Nip took the Furnace Blaster.

"Just be careful not to hit each other with those weapons." Crimson Blade told them. "They're extremely flammable and combustible. Which is also why you should not leave them lying around. Also, keep them away from the electronics on the zeppelin or any other sources of gas or fire, so we don't end up having any...accidents."

"Oh, great." said Sunset, quietly. "Now you tell them, gramps."

The Summerstar was now reaching a massive plateau that was broken at the center and otherwise barren and empty except for a few ruined building and pillars. They were only a dozen miles away from it now.

"My gosh." Daring Do said, wide-eyed. "Could this be...the fabled Plateau of G'nel?"

"The what?" asked Trixie.

"The Plateau of G'nel." said Daring Do. "The place where the Ram King first made his mark on the world. If that's the way to King Nelphyn's lair, then we'd better land this thing before we fly over it.

"Right." said Nose Nip. "Bringing this baby down...now!"

"Why?" inquired Sunset Shimmer. "Why land before we get there?"

"Because nothing that flies over the Plateau of G'nel has ever returned." said Daring Do. "So if that's what it is, then everypony on board this airship is good as dead."

"And ya didn't think ta tell us about this plateau thing, cuz...?" Sunflower questioned.

"I didn't think the plateau would be in Saddle Arabia, or that it even existed. It was a myth, even among the most superstitious ponies. But even if that isn't the Plateau of G'nel, I think we shouldn't take any chances."

The zeppelin landed on a flat patch of sand near the plateau, and the team disembarked with their armor, weapons, and other equipment at the ready.

"Daring Do, if this is that plateau...then what can we expect?" asked Teddy.

"Nightmarish horrors beyond comprehension." said Daring Do, grimly. "The plateau is said to be inhabited by a race of monsters from beyond the depths of space and time, brought there by the power of Saegmuntitus himself."

"Who's Saegmuntitus?" asked Golden Sun.

"A wretched devil-god unlike anything ever seen in Equestria, whose powers and motives are unknown." said Daring Do. "I had an encounter with an apparition of his in the past and barely escaped with my life. And I could tell that it was only a fragment of his true power."

"Oh, yeah!" said Sunset. "I remember...I was told about him a while ago, by Kin--I mean, my boyfriend. I've been meaning to ask someone about him, but I got seriously side-tracked and--"

"Look, since we've decided not to just fly up there, why don't we try finding a path up to the top of that plateau." said Scarlet Blaze. "Cosmic horrors or not, we've got to get to King Nelphyn somehow."

"I'll fly around and check." said Lightning Dust.

"No!" said Daring. "We need to stick together. There's no telling what could be waiting for us out here, so far in the desert."

Teddy looked up, aghast. A long shadow passed over the group.

"How about...them?!" he pointed up, frantically.

They looked up at the sky, and saw multiple winged shapes circling around the sun.

"Relax, those are just vultures." said Trixie.

Suddenly, the circling vultures started to descend towards them, going faster and faster. And the closer they came, the larger they appeared to be. And it didn't take the flashing red eyes, razor-sharp talons, or the baleful wails emitting from their beaks to make it clear...that these giant birds were hostile.

"Look out!" Sunset Shimmer shouted aloud, blasting a beam of her aura at the birds.

And not a moment too soon, as the winged creatures quailed and all flew away in a scattered panic.

Sunset felt her heart racing as she watched them fly away.

"What...was that?" asked Trixie, gasping for breath.

"I'd say we just met some of the more...exotic wildlife of Saddle Arabia." said Daring Do. "Those were Rocs: Big, nasty, and live only to make everypony's live as miserable as possible. On the other hand, through, they're just bullies and complete cowards."

"Those were the Rocs?!" exclaimed Sunset. "But they looked nothing like the one we..."

She paused.

"Um...I think we better get to that plateau now." said Radiant. "You know, in case those birds come back."

"But what about the Summerstar?" asked Golden Sun. "They might come back and destroy it."

"Fine, we can leave Pressure Point to watch it." said Sunset.

"There's no way I'm going to stay behind with those things out and about!"

"Fine." said Sunflower. "I'll stay with ya to protect from the big bad boidies! Besides, I don't wanna take my chances with the plateau, it just sounds scary. Even for me."

"Same here." said Teddy, giving his flare gun to Trixie.

"Fine." said Sunset. "Just promise you three won't fly off without us."

"Deal!" said Sunflower.

"You know we wouldn't do that!" said Teddy.

"Oh, I think ought ta stick around, too." said Frosty. "Ya know, in case this hunk'a junk needs some repairs...or we all need ta get the heck outta here in a hurry."

"Fine, Frosty." said Nose Nip. "If that's how you wanna be."

"As for the rest of us, let's get up that plateau!" said Daring Do.

The Forbidden Plateau

Sunset Shimmer and the others were venturing towards the plateau. Eventually, they found a slope they could safely climb.

"So, Daring." said Sunset. "Would you care to tell us just who the Ram King really is?"

"Sorry, but I don't really know a lot about him." said Daring Do. "Just brief details here and there."

"Like?"

"Like that he's one of the oldest living beings in the history of our world. Before even the foundation of Equestria."

"Any specific details I should know?" asked Sunset.

"Just that he hasn't been seen in the flesh in this world for millennia." said Daring Do. "Lots of ponyfolk even think he's a myth."

"Thank Celestia for that, then." said Sunset.

Back at the Summerstar, Frosty was outside the Summerstar, telekinetically using some canisters of spray-paint he found in the engine room to paint the sides of the zeppelin. After a while, Pressure Point went outside.

"Alright, Mr. Flake." Pressure said unamused. "Just what are you doing out here? I thought you said you would check on the engine room."

"Yeah...uh, in a minute." said Frosty. "I thought I'd give myself a li'l free-time. Ya know, take'a break!"

"Dare I ask how?" asked Pressure.

"Well...just look above ya, smahtee-hooves." said Frosty, pointing at the frame of the zeppelin's balloon.

Pressure looked up at the zeppelin.

"And what would I be--" his jaw dropped.

Painted along the side of the cab was a mural of Princess Luna in sleek black armor.

"What'dya think, huh?" asked Frosty.

"If I were Princess Luna, I'd probably banish you to the Moon." Pressure said, dryly.

"Hey!" Frosty shot a frustrated look at Pressure. "You don't see me tellin' you how ta do yo' job, so don't bug me about mine!"

"I'm not." said Pressure Point. "But when I last checked, your job was to make sure this flying contraption is still able to fly!" said Pressure. "Not to mention, if the Neo-Templars see our airship with a mural of an alicorn princess emblazoned on it, then we'll be as good as dead the next time we pass them by."

"Ah...you're right." sighed Frosty.

"Now if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you stayed inside. I'd hate to have something happen to the only other pony qualified to fly this thing out of here."

"Yeah, well since I am the only other pony qualified to fly this thing, I'd say you get back inside and shut yer noise-hole. Don't make sic Sunflower on ya."

Pressure Point scoffed and went back up the ramp.

"Nooooo respect for artists..." Frosty grumbled.

Teddy was inspecting the Summerstar's armory with Sunflower. Sunflower was humming a song to break what would have otherwise been an uncomfortable silence.

"So...what's that song?" asked Teddy, after a few minutes.

"It's just some song I heard a while back." said Sunflower, casually. "Forgot who sang it, though. I think it was the Ponytones or the Silver Starlings."

"I know who the Ponytones are, but who are the Silver Starlings?" asked Teddy.

"They're this very old band." said Sunflower. "I think you'd like 'em. Got some awesome tunes!"

"Uh-huh..." nodded Teddy, uncertainly.

"What's da mattuh, Ted?" asked Sunflower.

"I'm feeling kinda...funny right now." said Teddy.

"Anypony buggin' ya?" asked Sunflower. "I could give 'em a talkin' for ya."

"You'd do that?" asked Teddy.

"Sure!" said Sunflower.

"Okay, well...it's about Trixie." said Teddy.

"Oh, yeah." said Sunflower. "Li'l Miss Showpony, huh? Lemme guess, did she humiliate ya or somethin'?"

"No, it's not that." said Teddy. "Actually, I think that she's starting to grow on me."

"Join da club." said Sunflower. "She's actually pretty funny when ya get ta know her."

"That's...not what I meant." Teddy stammered, blushing.

"Awww...looks like somepony's gotten 'emselves smitten with somepony else!" Sunflower giggled.

"It's not something to laugh at!" Teddy flushed even deeper.

"I know, hon." said Sunflower. "I actually think ya would be a real cute couple!"

"I'm not saying I want a relationship with her." said Teddy, hesitantly. "But I do think I-I'm...I'm really attracted to...to her."

"Did ya evuh think ta tell her about this?" asked Sunflower.

"I would, but...I think she's mad at me." said Teddy. "And even if she wasn't...she'd probably laugh in my face."

"Well, you ain't gonna know until ya find out, right?" asked Sunflower, encouragingly.

Before Teddy could answer, there was suddenly a series of loud cawing noises coming from outside.

"Hey!" Frosty's voice shouted. "Get away from me! You betta stop that! Don'tcha dare touch me! I mean it, if you peck me one more time, I'll--Ow! That's it, yer gonna geddit! Eat magic, ya stupid boid-brains!"

"Looks like we've got company..." Teddy said, leaving the armory with one of Crimson Blade's makeshift weapons.

"Right behind ya." said Sunflower.

Eventually, the group made it to the top of the plateau, which was still as barren as it was when Daring Do sighted it from the Summerstar. Just as the sun started to go down, they set up a camp near the large crevice in the plateau's center. expected at any moment for some hidden guardian to rise out to meet and challenge them. But nothing rose up out of the hole to meet them, short of the occasional gust of chilled air.

"This place really gives me the chills." said Lightning Dust, who was holding the Megamite larva she brought with her.

The larva was swiveling its antennae around, as if it was trying to detect something.

"What's the matter, girl?" Lightning asked. "Do ya sense something?"

She set the larva down on the ground.

"Go find it." Lightning said, encouragingly.

But the larva made a few clicking noises and started wandering in circles, its head tilted downwards.

"That's one clueless cockroach." commented Nose Nip.

Lightning sped over to him, glaring.

"Hey, get off her back." said Lightning Dust in a defensive tone, her hooves on her hips. "She's just a baby."

"You two, knock it off." said Radiant Dawn. "I hear something down there."

There was a faint crackling coming from the wide crevice, which then ceased after a moment. The larva stopped circling around.

"What do you think that was?" Radiant asked Nose Nip.

"I dunno." said Nose Nip. "Maybe some rocks were loosened."

"But by what?" asked Lightning.

"I think there's something down there." said Radiant Dawn. "But what?"

They waited for a while at the edge of the chasm, as dusk finally settled in. Then they gave up, and went back to the others.

"What took you guys?" questioned Sunset.

"I dunno, Sunny." said Radiant. "But I think there's something up with that pit."

"Like what?"

"Exactly. Sunny, I think you should wait by the Summerstar. I think it might be too dangerous for you."

Sunset shook her head, and put her hoof against Radiant's chest.

"Red, I'm fine." said Sunset, looking up at his worried face. "I love you and you're my brother. I'll never forget that. But you and I both know this is something we've got to do together, or not at all."

Nose Nip and Golden Sun approached the edge of the pit, and looked down.

"So do you think we'll be able to climb down there?" asked Golden Sun.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." said Nose Nip, nervously. "It's too dark to say if there are any decent places to hang on, and--oops!"

Nose Nip suddenly slipped his front left hoof against a rock he was leaning against, tipping it over the edge. The rock ruptured a natural formation jutting out from the side of the chasm, obliterating it and leaving a big hole. Suddenly, there was a slight tremor.

"And...this plateau seems kinda unstable." Nose Nip continued, nervously.

"I...don't think that was the plateau." said Golden Sun, as the rumbling grew.

"I'm a mountain-climber, and I know an earthquake when I feel it." said Nose Nip.

"And I'm the professor here, and I decree that this tremor is too small to be one. It feels and sounds like something big moving underground."

"Think it might be that giant scorpion again?" asked Nose Nip.

"No, it sounds like..."

Then a massive stream of water blasted forth from the hole in the side of the chasm, and streamed downwards into the darkness below. Nose Nip was so flabbergasted that he swore loudly. But the word he uttered was completely drowned out by the loud crash caused by the tide of water.

"Incredible!" said Golden Sun. "Nose Nip, you and I just unearthed an underground river!"

"In the middle of a desert?!" exclaimed Nose Nip.

The water kept flowing, and eventually the others rushed over to investigate the noise.

"Dad, what happened?!" Sunset shouted over the thunderous waterfall.

Suddenly, the plateau started to crack in nearly every direction.

"Okay, everypony!" said Daring Do. "Let's not panic!"

"But what's happening?!" Trixie exclaimed.

"I think the sudden release of all that water must be causing a landslide." deduced Golden Sun. "Careful where you stand, because another pit might open any--"

Then the ground around Golden Sun and Nose Nip sank with another tremor, and they found themselves sliding into the waterfall. Another pitfall opened up around the others, and they sank into a wide crevice with many openings.

"Hold on!" Sunset shouted, her horn glowing as she covered herself and the other ponies nearby with a protective field of her bluish-green aura.

Golden Sun, using his telekinesis, managed to catch himself and Nose Nip in mid-air before they would have reached terminal velocity. They reach a dry part of the chasm, and looked up from where they were.

""

Sunset's spell managed to protect them from the fall, but the stress and pressure caused her to collapse.

"Sunset, are you okay?" said Scarlet Blaze, frantically.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." said Sunset, staggering back up.

She paused for a moment, illuminated her horn again and realized they were all deep in a vast underground chamber, not unlike one someone would expect to find inside of a temple or a pyramid.

"I think we just found our way in." commented Sunset. "But..."

"I think we're missing a few other ponies." said Trixie, looking around.

"Where's dad, grandpa, and Nose Nip?" asked Radiant Dawn.

"And I don't think I see Maud, Daring Do, or any of the others with us." said Scarlet.

"Maybe they're still on the surface." said Trixie.

"Or they fell somewhere else." suggested Sunset. "There's only one way to know, though: We've gotta look around."

The Lost City of al-Duroc, Part 2

"Well, this is just plum-stupid and ridiculous!" said Minister Sterling, to a group of messengers from overseas. "A bunch of Royalist ruffians actually managed to topple one of the toughest installations us Templars have got?!"

"Yes, sir." said an aide.

"Well, I ain't gonna let 'em get back home!" said Sterling. "Not to mention, they made a fool outta my own citizens. I don't know what the buck they're doing moseyin' 'round with the Saddle Arabians, but I ain't gonna take it sittin' down! You better listen up, boys!"

He marched right up to one of the messengers, and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I don't give a hoot whose heel y'all have'ta nip, which knee ya gotta bend down on, you will get the Prime Minister on the horn, and you'll tell him to send them big boys of his over mah way! D'yall understand me?!"

"Yes, Minister!" said the messenger, shaking nervously. "Of course."

The messenger started whimpering, and his fellows escorted him out of the room.

"Should we send anyone here after them, though?" asked the aide.

"Nah..." Sterling sighed. "It ain't worth the trouble right now. But sooner or later, they will have'ta come back West ta get to their beloved Equestria. And when that happens...we'll be ready! Yo' can count on it!"

"So you mean to have them eliminated, sir?" the aide inquired.

"O' course not...yet!" said Sterling. "But I can think of a few places back West that'll hold 'em till we figure out what to do with 'em."

Sunset Shimmer and the others grouped together, standing back-to-back, as the four statues walked away from their posts, and approached the unicorns with an ominous glare in their luminous eyes.

"How are we meant to fight these brutes without our magic?!" Trixie shouted frantically.

"The old-fashioned way." said Radiant Dawn. "Fight!"

Radiant Dawn and Scarlet Blaze charged forwards, taking their opponents head-on. They leapt onto the statues' backs, and pummeled them with their hooves. But they did little to damage them.

"Great." said Trixie. "So your mom and brother can just jump on them. What are we normal-sized unicorns supposed to do?"

"Find a weak spot!" said Sunset. "Even constructs like these should be breakable."

Sunset galloped around the statue approaching her, while Trixie stood still for a moment, and stared nervously at her own opponent. She noticed that her statue wasn't really equine in shape, but bovine. Which give her an idea: She stood upright, stripped herself of her cloak, then held it from the top with her front hooves.

"Toro! Toro!" she shouted at it.

The bovine statue, bent its stone legs, and made a loud snorting noise as it exhumed steam-like gas from its nostrils. It roared, and charged forward, its horned head bent down. Trixie jumped up at the right time, and grabbed the bovine statue by its thick granite neck.

"Woah, boy!" Trixie shouted.

The bovine statue tilted its head up, and looked around for Trixie. Trixie then threw her cloak over the statue's eyes, causing it to bellow even louder than before, and charge recklessly forwards. Sunset Shimmer, who was trying to circle her own statue, caught sight of the oncoming behemoth, and darted away as the two statues rammed into each other. The two statues backed away, and then their heads shattered, and the headless bodies collapsed to the ground with a loud CRASH!

"It's the heads!" Sunset shouted to Scarlet and Radiant. "You've gotta break their heads off!"

"Hey, mom!" Radiant called to Scarlet, whose statue was trying to buck her off its back. "This is just like that thing you made me do! Remember? On my birthday?!"

"Now I know how you must've felt, son!" Scarlet called back.

She smashed a hoof into the head of the statue, and it toppled over to the ground headless. Radiant saw this, and gripped the neck of his statue as hard as he could, intending to pull it off.

"C'mon, you stupid..." he grunted as he yanked at the head with all his might.

The statue was attempting to rear its head to knock Radiant off, but Sunset intervened.

"Hey, blockhead!" Sunset taunted the statue, which turned to look at her.

Radiant took advantage of the brief distraction, and snapped the head off of the statue, causing it to stagger and then topple over. Radiant lost his balance due to the constant shaking and swerving and fell to the ground, dropping the broken head. The head was careening down towards Sunset's position. Sunset gasped, as did Scarlet and Trixie, as the head fell square onto her back with a nasty crumbling noise as she sank down on all fours.

"Sunny!" Radiant hollered in complete shock, getting back up and galloping towards his sister.

Sunset laid on the ground, half-buried in rubble with her eyes closed.

"Please tell me you're okay." he whispered into her ear.

But Sunset made no answer, nor made any attempt to move. Radiant's eyes started to water.

"S-Sunny..." said Radiant, his voice shaky. "Do-Don't be dead..."

Scarlet rushed to Radiant's side, and inspected her daughter's body.

"Wait." Scarlet said softly. "She's breathing!"

She put a hoof on her daughter's face, which coughed.

"Gettitofmee." Sunset muttered.

"What?" Radiant said, cocking his head to the side.

"Get this stuff off of me!" Sunset rasped a little louder.

Radiant hastily pushed the rubble off of Sunset's body, and pulled her out of the wreckage. To his surprise, her body was completely intact.

"What? How?!" Radiant sputtered.

He slid Sunset's cloak to the side, and saw her back was undamaged, save for a couple of bruises. He could only guess that this was because of the enchantments applied to the cloak.

"I owe ya one, Shining Armor." he muttered, before saying to Sunset. "You okay, sis? Can ya keep going?"

"I'm...fine." Sunset opened her eyes, looking up at her brother. "Thanks."

She smiled, and struggled to get back up. Even though the cloak's enchantments protected her from the debris, she still felt very bruised. The four unicorns' horns started glowing, indicating that their magic was functional again. The lone door at the end of the room was opened.

"Let's go." Sunset said, proceeding towards the doorway.

Scarlet, Trixie, and Radiant followed her. They entered a long corridor, which was lined with small statues of various animals. Radiant looked warily at them with his horn, in case they would suddenly spring to life. There were hieroglyphics above each animal, depicting very large earth ponies wearing ancient headdresses.

"I wonder who they were?" asked Radiant.

"Maybe they were the owners of these animals." said Sunset. "Man, I wish dad was with us right now. I'm sure he'd be able to explain who they were."

Scarlet looked at the statues, before stopping at one of a tall dog that had a slim build, thin head and long fluffy ears.

"Isn't this an Afghan hound?" she said, with a smile. "I always wanted to have one when I was a little filly!"

"Mom, I actually think that's a Saluki." said Sunset.

"Oh...really?" said Scarlet, analyzing the statue. "I don't think I've ever heard of that breed before."

She looked at her daughter and smiled. Sunset smiled back.

"I have such wonderful children." Scarlet said quietly to herself.

"Let's get down there, and find out what happened." said Nose Nip. "But first, I think we ought to signal the others back at the Summerstar."

He grabbed the Furnace Blaster from the debris, as well as a discarded flare gun from a nearby saddlebag, and loaded it. He fumbled with it, since it was apparently jammed.

"Stupid thing." he grumbled. "You'd think that old stallion would at least give us instructions on how to--"

"Uhhhh, Nose Nip?" Golden Sun said, nervously. "Maybe you should--?"

"I know how to use a flare, professor!" said Nose Nip.

"But I could just--"

"I got it!" Nose Nip said, hastily. "I've just--"

Suddenly, a flare burst from the gun's barrel, and it shot into the sky. Then it suddenly came down, and fell into a nearby saddle-bag. The saddle-bag was apparently full of explosives, since the whole thing detonated in a large fiery explosion, scattering the other items all over the place.

"This really isn't my day!" Nose Nip groaned in frustration as the ground in front of him started to rumble and crack.

"What da heck was dat?!" Frosty exclaimed, choking on his S'more.

He, Teddy, and the others looked up at the plateau. There was a faintly audible crackling noise, and several small explosions were visible from the top.

"Are they runnin' a fireworks show up dere or somethin'?" said Frosty.

"Looks like something intense is going on up there." said Teddy.

"No kiddin', Captain Obvious!" snarked Frosty. "Well, I bet you guys wanna fly outta here..." he grumbled: "Just when I was enjoyin' a good snack! Ugh!"

"Actually, I think we should go up and help the others." said Teddy. "It sounds like they've run into some trouble."

In his throne room, King Nelphyn stood, reflecting on his past. He was thinking about the all-but forsaken city that he was in, and about his motives for restoring it to its former glory. He had the Alicorn Amulet in his possession once again, but even its power alone couldn't bring back what was once the greatest civilization that the East had ever seen. King Nelphyn doubled-over in a deep, seething rage. Even after all the terrible things he had done and all the indignities he went through in both this world and the human world, he still didn't get what he wanted. What he wanted back!

"Curse the day those infernal Altered Ones destroyed my people." he growled. "Leaving my home an empty shell of what it once was, and forcing me to wallow in filth!"

Filth. Even that word seemed too good for those lesser breeds of equines that had over-populated the world above in the wake of Megalon's destruction. Even the Saddle Arabians seemed nothing more than a pale imitation of his race. In the past, he tried to harness the potential of that breed to create a legacy for his all-but dead race. But his efforts to go above and beyond the old empire's limits proved disastrous in the end. King Nelphyn was forced to flee to the human world under his master's orders. But King Nelphyn only found a source of hatred and mockery in that world's native race. Even with their advanced technology and the ability to use sophisticated tools, humans scarcely impressed Nelphyn, who despised every moment he lived in that world, waiting for the opportunity to reveal itself.

There were others from the pony world that were banished there in his wake, but few of them seemed to be worthy of being even remotely associated with them. Until one in particular went there completely voluntarily: Sunset Shimmer. He couldn't help but marvel at how she was able to live in a world that only limited her potential, yet he couldn't understand why she would still remain there even when greater opportunities awaited her in Equestria. He admired this, yet despised it. He wanted to deconstruct this paradox, and avert it.

His machinations were precise and wound up benefiting him more than he would believe. He did not even expect Sunset Shimmer to return to the human world and battle the very people who chased her out of their world, let alone with the Alicorn Amulet in her possession. So when this became evident, he acted upon his own plans to cross over to Equestria with the power that he desired, and then returned to Saddle Arabia to usurp the wretched rulers of that land and make it his own, as it was before.

But he knew that things would not happen as long as Equestria was still in power, able to send any assistance that Saddle Arabia needed. But this worried him very little, since the Elements of Harmony no longer existed. There were already others at work plotting to usurp Equestria's rulers, so it was only a matter of time before he would be able to finish what he started again in the East without interference.

There was a faint rumbling from above, and the sounds of rocks falling out of place. The Alicorn Amulet was glowing around his neck. He knew very well the cause of this distrurbance.

"Whoever these fools are...that dare intrude on my ancestral home..." he thought, maliciously. "I will see to it that the Maul-Ras make short work of them."

His eyes glowed bright and fierce, as a mound in the center of the room broke open. A black spiraling shape rose out into the air, and soared through the air, through a gateway that opened just long enough for it to leave, and then sealed itself.

The Maul-Ras

Sunset Shimmer felt nervous as she and the rest of her group continued down the corridor.

"What's wrong, Sunny?" Radiant asked.

"Nothing, really." replied Sunset. "I'm just wondering what we'll have to face next, and if we'll ever get back home."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we will." said Radiant. "We just have to keep ourselves focused."

Sunset nodded. She thought about how wonderful it would be to come back to Equestria, back to Daystar Manor with the entire family together again.

"Red, I was curious about something." Sunset asked.

"What is it, sis?" asked Radiant.

"So, I was wondering what you plan to do once we get back home? Aside from your job, that is."

"I dunno." said Radiant. "I was thinking..."

He stammered.

"Yes?" asked Sunset.

"Well, please don't tell mom or Trixie, but..."

Radiant whispered into Sunset's ear:

"One of these days, I'm gonna propose to Lightning Dust."

Sunset snickered.

"That's a good idea." she said, happily.

"What is?" asked Trixie.

"Uh...Red told me that he's going to..." Sunset hesitated. "get mom a Saluki for her birthday."

"You would do that, son?" Scarlet said, with a smile. "Oh, but you don't need to do that."

"Celestia be darned if I don't!" said Radiant, grimacing awkwardly. "I'm gonna get you the purest-bred darn Sashookee--"

"--Saluki." corrected Sunset.

"Whatever-that-dog-is I can find, and make sure it's yours." said Radiant. "You deserve it, ma. Really."

"How thoughtful, son." laughed Scarlet.

Sunset smiled, too. But what Radiant really told her also made her curious: If Radiant and Lightning get married...what about her? She really didn't have any interests in anypony she met since she came back to Equestria, with the exception of--

But her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden scraping noise: A stone wall suddenly slammed across the corridor, cutting off Sunset and Trixie from Radiant and Scarlet.

"Sunny!" Radiant shouted suddenly, banging on the wall with his hoof.

Suddenly, they heard a creaking noise on the other side, as if another passageway was opening.

Bathilda was fluttering in the darkness, carrying the Megamite larva in her claws. Suddenly, they heard soft hoof-falls below. Bathilda squeaked, expecting it to be Sunset. She flew down and hovered right in front of...Maud Pie.

"Hi." she said to them. "Looking for everypony else?"

Bathilda nodded, as did the Megamite larva, which broke free of the bat's grip. The bat squeaked and screeched frantically.

"Check over there?" repeated Maud, turning right. "Good idea."

Bathilda found herself shrugging, suprised Maud was able to understand her. She flew after her, the Megamite scurrying after them.

Golden Sun and Nose Nip carefully backed away from the site of the explosion, and saw that a gaping hole had opened up when the smoke cleared.

"Well, it looks like we found our way inside." said Nose Nip.

"Let's just be careful not to blow anything else up, okay?" said Golden Sun.

"Oh, sure." said Nose Nip, dryly. "I wanted to try and start another rockslide, but I guess I could postpone that because you asked me to!"

Golden Sun said nothing, while Nose Nip set up a point for him and Golden Sun to climb down into the hole.

The two descended together, and found themselves inside a flooded tunnel, presumably the one that held the water. The walls and floor were still very damp and moist.

"So...which way should we go, professor?" Nose Nip asked.

Golden Sun's horn shone down both ends of the tunnel. He sniffed the air in one direction, and twitched his ear in the other.

"That way!" said Golden Sun, pointing at the end that slanted downwards.

"You sure?"

"Positive." said Golden Sun. "I can hear a waterfall the other way, so that's bound to lead outside. But if we're going to save the others, then we ought to go deeper underground."

The two stallions went on down the tunnel, which was very quiet apart from the occasional trickling of unseen water. Eventually, they found themselves crawling through a narrow end when they realized that the ground made a different noise.

"It sounds hollow." said Golden Sun, tapping the stone floor. "There must be something under here."

"Got it." said Nose Nip. "This might get dangerous, so just hang back."

Golden Sun crawled away from the hollow part of the ground, while Nose Nip repeatedly but cautiously smashed his front hooves against the floor, which started to break away...into a deep cavernous chamber. They were at least a hundred yards from the bottom. Golden Sun looked through the opening, and gulped nervously.

"So...who goes down first?" he asked.

"Well, let's do it the way Frosty and me always decide things:" Nose Nip said.

He pointed a hoof at Golden Sun.

"Eeney..."

He pointed at himself.

"Meaney..."

He pointed at Golden Sun again.

"Miney..."

And then he pointed at himself, when he suddenly heard a faint rumbling.

"Mo...boy." he said, when he heard the rumbling getting closer and louder.

Water was rushing down the tunnel they were standing in, giving them little choice:

"Forget it, let's get down there while we can!" Golden Sun shouted over the oncoming tide. "Let's find a way to--"

The floor collapsed underneath them and they both found themselves plummeting downwards. If it weren't for Golden Sun's telekinesis, they would've been splattered all over the rocky floor in a heap of horse-guts.

"Not bad, professor." said Nose Nip, breathlessly.

"Don't mention it..." replied Golden Sun.

Then water droplets started to fall down on their manes. Nose Nip and Golden Sun both looked up and gasped in shock as the ceiling above them was not only breaking apart, but water was cascading down from the cracks and holes. Each millisecond, the water seemed to come down in larger amounts.

"Run!" they both shouted at once.

They bolted away as fast as they could, as metric tons of rocks and dozens of kiloliters of water began falling to the ground. As the roof continued to collapse, shards of sunlight became to open above. But still, they went on, galloping madly towards the underground city, hollering hysterically.

Daring Do, Crimson Blade, and Lightning Dust travelled through the subterranean city together. As they passed through streets and lanes, Crimson frowned.

"This place is starting to remind me of Fort Echidna." he stated, gloomily. "Though this place, as ancient as it is, definitely looks sturdier than those tunnels that Commander Firewing made us dig."

"Which makes me wanna ask..." Lightning turned to Crimson. "Why the heck would you stay with a bunch of deranged, slaving, meat-eating brutes like the templars at Fort Echidna?"

"Because I had nowhere else to go." said Crimson. "Or so I thought anyway. When I heard what happened to Scarlet and her husband, I had feared the worst. I gave up on living a normal life, and moved directly into Baltimare's garrison. But then I...acted out against the Princess and was disavowed and imprisoned. When I finally...got out, I fell in with a very bad crowd. I did...very unsavory things during that time, and I was practically desensitized by the time I joined the Templars. My self-esteem was so low that I didn't mind seeing slavery, hard labor, cold-blooded torture, or weapons of mass destruction being made under my supervision."

"Man, I'm really sorry to hear that." said Lightning. "Your daughter must've meant a lot to you, huh?"

"Scarlet was my whole world." said Crimson. "I couldn't have asked for a better child. Nor for better grandchildren."

Suddenly, there was a strange noise in the air, that seemed to descend for an eternity: Shepard's Tone. This tone kept going for a few seconds, before fading into silence. Several dark shadows sprang around them, appearing and disappearing at random. One of the shadows leapt over Crimson Blade, and was illuminated by his aura for a few seconds: A large, bow-legged creature with digitigrade, clawed feet, razor-sharp claws for hands on the ends of its long rail-thin arms, a scorpion's tail, and a head that resembled a mixture between a jaguar, a jackal, and a raptor and a curved lower jaw.

"What the heck is that thing?" gasped Lightning Dust.

"It's bad news." said Daring Do. "Very bad news."

The creature opened its maw, and dilated its luminescent eyes. It let out a roar that seemed to "roll" back and forth, as if the sound was revolving in its throat. As it did so, the lower jaw was revolving back and forth like a petal on a bicycle. It lashed out with its right claw, between Lightning Dust and Daring Do.

"You're an ugly guy, arent'cha?" Lightning Dust said, hovering in the air.

The creature reared itself up to lunge forward, but Lightning ascended in time. She swooped down and spun around the creature fast enough to form a tornado around it. But it was fruitless, since the creature was practically a whirlwind of claws and teeth on its own and the tornado only accelerated the speed of its attacks. Many times, Lightning Dust had to dodge the creature's blows, going faster and faster until started to get dizzy. She felt her stomach getting queasy and her cheeks sank into a deeper shade of green and her golden eyes started to roll around in different directions.

"Oooh...I don't feel so good." she said groggily.

She had no choice but to stop, and started hacking. Afraid she would vomit, she flew over to a nearby urn and stuck her head inside. She finished gagging and hacking, when she turned and saw that the creature was being carried away in the cyclone she created. She suddenly realized a creature identical to the first was behind her, leaning sideways. Before Lightning could say or do anything, the creature lashed at her with its foot. Not with the claw, but the knuckled top-side, swatting her high up into the air towards the cavernous ceiling. She went upwards, before descending in an arc into the side of another building.

Trixie and Sunset were trying to force the wall to open again, when suddenly they heard a creaking noise, and the ceiling above them opened up. They heard screaming, and none other than Lightning Dust fell down through the opening. Sunset telekinetically caught Lightning with her magic, while Trixie was crouching and wincing in a state of panic.

"Trixie, it's okay." Sunset said. "It's just Lightning Dust."

"I know." Trixie responded, quivering. "I'm talking about that!"

The creature that struck Lightning climbed into the opening of the ceiling and jumped down with a trilling growl, as another corridor opened and another creature emerged.

"Maul-Ras!" exclaimed Sunset. "King Nelphyn's onto us!"

"Mall-whats?" said Lightning, still laying on the ground.

"King Nelphyn's terrible trio." said Sunset. "I...met them before."

"Trio? There's three of them?!" Trixie gasped.

"Yeah, but I left the first one in a cyclone and he got blown away...somewhere!" said Lightning. "Let's hope for the best for whoever crosses paths with that dude."

"Don't forget us!" said Trixie.

The Maul-Ra that emerged from the wall opening growled angrily, and brandished a strange black object with a curved handle, and started to sway its fingers to get a grip on it. The other Maul-Ra slashed and swung across the room in a single, brilliantly fluid-like motion only to stop and lean at the side of the first. It turned its head to look at Sunset, apparently recognizing her from the human world. it started to hiss and growl, which the first responded with similar noises. It brandished a second object identical to the first, and held it in the other claw. The second angled its scorpion-like tail, poised to strike as it crouched with its head relaxed at a jaunted position so that its jaw was facing the ceiling.

"What do we do?" said Lightning Dust, getting herself straightened.

Sunset's horn glowed, and she said with a grave tone and narrowed eyes.

"We fight."

Battling the Ancients, Part 1

Hotrod Sterling sat in his office, when Mauve Mirage entered.

"Howdy-do, Ms. Mirage." said Sterling. "So, have ya done what I told ya?

"I'm quite done with it, thank you very much." said Mauve.

Then she seized Sterling by the neck, holding him up with her front hooves.

"But if you make me do anything so degrading ever again, I'll."

"You'll what, Councilwoman?" asked a rough voice coming from a corner of the room.

Mauve let Sterling down and then turned around. There was a stallion sitting on a chair in the corner. Mauve couldn't tell who it was, since he was wearing a large black overcoat with matching bodysuit, as well as a balaclava and gas mask so that his coat, eyes, and mane were perfectly concealed.

"And who the devil are you supposed to be?" asked Mauve, rolling her eyes.

"They call this here fella...'Master Zed'." said Sterling, grinning. "Not the name I woulda chosen, but..."

"I've never heard of him." said Mauve Mirage, narrowing her blue eyes.

"The boys back West sent him, least that's what he told me." said Sterling. "Came here just a couple hours ago."

"So you're the only one that was sent to assist us in apprehending those vagabonds?" asked Mauve, skeptically.

Master Zed climbed out of his seat, put on a spiked helmet that was on the chair beside him, approached Mauve, and looked into her eyes intensely.

"I'm the only one you need." he said. "Assuming they live to make the return journey, that is..."

"What do you mean?" asked Mauve.

Sunset Shimmer blasted the second Maul-Ra with a burst of magical energy, but the creature dodged it by jumping, doing a cartwheel in mid-air. The first Maul-Ra lifted the two objects it held in its claws, and pulled the handles. Two greenish-white flames burst from the fronts of the objects and a projectile of matching color jettisoned towards Sunset, who dodged it with a surprised yelp.

"Did...did it just shoot lasers at me?!" Sunset exclaimed, as she got back up.

"I don't care what they're using." Trixie stated. "The Great and Powerful Trixie shall challenge their little lightshow with one of her own!"

Trixie's horn glowed, and an arc of lightning shot forward, singing the right hand of the second Maul-Ra and breaking the weapon it held into three pieces. But the Maul-Ra just as quickly swung the other weapon, and fired another projectile that hit Trixie square in the front, causing her to double over in pain while simultaneously getting knocked against the wall.

"Trixie, you okay?!" said Lightning, frantically turning to look at Trixie.

"Lightning, look out!" Trixie gasped, as the Maul-Ra aimed its gun again.

But it was too late, and another projectile swatted the pegasus out of the air, sending her crashing into the wall, and landing on top of Trixie. Sunset growled, as her own horn glowed brightly. She fired a beam of her bluish-green aura at the other weapon, disintegrating it along with the hand that held it. The Maul-Ra roared viciously, and then lunged forth, seizing Sunset by the roots of her mane. It lifted her up in front of its bestial face, and bellowed loudly as it swatted her out of its own hand with the stump of its arm. Sunset was knocked into the wall, where she lay in a daze. But before she could do anything, the one-clawed Maul-Ra grabbed her by the tail, and hauled her back down the corridor and into the tunnel. The other did the same with Lightning Dust and Trixie.

Sunset opened her eyes in a daze, and she found herself laying on her back across a cold stone floor. Her vision was blurry, but she was able to decipher the dark, pale equine shape looming over her. The figure was very tall and had a long, shaggy black mane that extended down his neck, with knots and curls dotting its length. His body was generally gaunt and unfed, but Sunset could still tell there was a lot of strength within.

"King...Nelphyn, I presume?" asked Sunset.

"Sunset Shimmer, we meet again." said the cold voice of King Nelphyn.

His face was practically emotionless, but fairly animated nonetheless.

"You and your friends have come all the way from the safety of Canterlot Castle...just to die by my hoof."

"My friends? Where are they?!" Sunset said frantically, getting back up.

"Right...here, Sunset." Lightning Dust's voice rose up behind Sunset.

Sunset turned around, and saw Lightning Dust and Trixie slowly getting back to their feet, groaning in pain.

"So, you're the big bad dude that's causing all this trouble." said Lightning Dust, steadily approaching Sunset's side to face Nelphyn.

"I am doing nothing more than reclaiming what is rightfully mine." said King Nelphyn. "Nearly a thousand years of absence has left Saddle Arabia under the rule of pathetic imitators of its original empire."

"But did you have to invade an entire city to do that?" asked Sunset.

"Mareusalem was a warning to the others, as to what will happen if the rest of Saddle Arabia refuses to submit to their true master."

"You do know that's completely crazy, right?" asked Lightning Dust.

"You would think that." Nelphyn said in a louder, clearer voice. "But your precious Equestria has become too attached to these infidels, so they don't understand what I am doing is the right thing."

"You also tried invading Equestria long ago." said Sunset.

"Only so that my influence could spread there." said King Nelphyn. "The princesses are powerful and just, but their teachings are inferior to my own. Equestria claims to be equal to all that are equine, yet the pegasi and unicorns get all the power."

"But earth ponies are important, too!" Sunset said, quickly. "They tend the earth, and the farming, and..."

"But their power is still limited compared to the others." Nelphyn rebuked. "Tell me, when was the last time you ever heard of an earth pony that used magic, or becoming an Alicorn?"

"But earth ponies can't--"

"Lies!" snapped Nelphyn. "Earth ponies can ascend to such levels of power. I myself have experienced it long ago."

"The Elder Rock..." said Sunset.

"A gift from the true gods, some might call it." Nelphyn said, calmly. "A gift for my kind. For those without horns or wings. I am the strongest earth pony that ever lived, regardless of size or breed. It's only right that an earth pony should ascend to true power. However, the infidels that took the power before my civilization could only proved that such power wasn't for everyone. They needed control and discipline of that power. I have both!"

"So you can toss a few rocks around..." Trixie said. "That doesn't mean you can just use magic wherever you want."

"Rocks?" King Nelphyn laughed in a high, wicked tone. "I can do more than throw rocks, little unicorn. I can reduce mountains to rubble, split islands in half, and open canyons as deep as they are long. Not all magic comes from a horn. But since none of you are earth ponies, it is no surprise that you don't realize that. I have magic of my own, as do all earth ponies. But my magic is physical and not because of spells, potions, or manipulation of the elements. But for the rest, there's this."

He opened the front of his garment, revealing none other than the Alicorn Amulet.

"This gave me more power than I could ever believe. All the power and skills of the three equine races, and then some."

"Yeah, but it also corrupts you and makes you go nuts." said Trixie.

"You need the willpower to control the Alicorn Amulet, something a mere unicorn doesn't have." King Nelphyn said.

Nelphyn looked at Sunset.

"Although I have to admit: You didn't do too bad with it back in the other world." said Nelphyn. "You must be very clever, not being able to use your own magic in that other world. How could you stand to be there, anyway?"

"What do you mean?" asked Sunset.

King Nelphyn growled.

"Those pathetic, disgusting humans." said Nelphyn. "I hated them so. Not a moment passed where I didn't utterly despise that world and all that inhabited it. Weak and dependent on tools and technology to make a decent living. I don't know how you could stand to live among them, without even being able to use your magic. I would have left as soon as I arrived."

"But why didn't you?" asked Sunset.

"Ah...because my master ordered me to stay there until the time was right."

"Your master?" asked Sunset.

"Of course." said King Nelphyn. "Did you think that I would have waited as long as I did if I wasn't told to do so? I would have wiped out the entire human race long ago, Alicorn Amulet or not. But then, I would have gotten lonely being the only sapient being in that world."

"But who...?"

"It doesn't matter." said Nelphyn. "I will not bore you with further chatter. I will simply destroy you instead. Prepare yourselves!"

Sunset gasped as King Nelphyn lunged forward with blinding speed, knocking aside both Trixie and Lightning Dust to seize Sunset by the neck. He started to tighten his grip intensely, all without changing his expression or making a sound. Pale red vapor began to emit from his vacant eye-sockets.

"Since I admire your fortitude the most, Sunset Shimmer...you will perish first!" said King Nelphyn, whose grip was tightening harder and harder. "And then I will finish off the rest of your putrid pony-friends one at a time."

Sunset could hear her neck-bones starting to crack, and she started to get dizzy. But she focused as hard as she could to focus her magic, and managed to blast King Nelphyn's gaunt face with a bright flash of her aura. However, even that wasn't enough to make him let go of her. But then...

"Agh!" Nelphyn growled, as a surge of purple electricity scorched his back.

"Let Sunset go!" Trixie shouted. "You want to fight somepony? Fight Trixie first!"

Nelphyn slowly let go of Sunset, letting her drop to the ground to face the blue unicorn.

"So, you really want to die first?" he said, flatly. "So be it. I can't resist a good challenge. But unfortunately, you'll have to do."

"Wow, I haven't heard that line before." Trixie snarked.

"You must be a very proud little sorceress, aren't you?" Nelphyn said as he approached her, apparently recognizing her. "The Great and Powerful Trixie, I presume. Your counterpart in the human world irritated me to no end. Now I'm going to do to you what I wanted to do to her."

"Bring it on, Nellie!" smirked Trixie, whose horn was glowing. "You have not beheld the magical wonders of the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"Nor have you dealt with one who has truly mastered the true power of the Alicorn Amulet." countered Nelphyn. "Prepare to be vanquished by your ultimate superior."

The Alicorn Amulet started to glow around King Nelphyn's neck, as did his eyes. The two stared each other down intensely, as the chamber fell silent. Sunset and Lightning could do nothing more than watch in awe at the two.

Battling the Ancients, Part 2

Radiant Dawn and Scarlet Blaze fired spell after spell at the stone barrier; incendiary spells, concussive blasts, and more. They even try pushing and pummeling it with their hooves, but to no avail.

"Well, one thing's for sure: we can't go back that way." said Radiant.

"Then we'll have to find another way around, son." said Scarlet.

The two turned away and continued down the corridor, their horns glowing to illuminate the darkness.

"It feels kinda weird, don't ya think?" said Radiant. "Being in the lair of the original ruler of our ancestral home?"

"I doubt King Nelphyn was ever much of a ruler." said Scarlet, disgusted. "Did you see what he did to Mareusalem? Despicable! What kind of a leader would do that?"

"Yeah! I know, right?" said Radiant. "And if that's what he did to Mareusalem, I'd hate to see what he'd do to the rest of Saddle Arabia...or even Equestria. For that matter, what he'd do to us--"

"Don't say things like that, boy." Scarlet turned to her son, narrowing her eyes intensely as her gaze pierced Radiant's with the ferocity of a harpoon. "At least we're doing something to stop his evil. Would you rather run away and hide until he comes knocking down your door and snuffed out everypony else that could possibly save you? Is that really what you'd rather do, Captain Radiant Dawn Daystar?!"

"Geez, mom." Radiant said, nervously looking into his mother's unblinking eyes. "I get the point. I wanna stop him as much as you do, and we all came here knowing the risk we'd be taking."

Scarlet blinked, sighed, then put a hoof around Radiant's neck, and leaned over to soothe him.

"I'm sorry, son." she said, softly. "I'm worried about what might happen, too. But that doesn't mean we should dwell on our fears."

"Of course not, mom." Radiant nodded his head.

Scarlet ran her hoof through Radiant Dawn's wild mane.

"Son, you really need a haircut." she muttered under her breath.

"I just hope Sunny's okay." Radiant said, ignoring his mother's comment. "That's all."

"Me too, son." said Scarlet. "But we just have to hope for the--Oops!"

She stumbled on a stone tile on the floor, which sank beneath her hoof. They heard a scraping noise from ahead and behind. They looked back, expecting the stone barrier to re-open. Instead, they saw it advancing towards them!

"Run!" she shouted.

The two bolted down the corridor, with the advancing wall in pursuit. As they ran along, the pedestals of the statues that lined the corridor rose into holes in the ceiling, while the gaps were filled by walls that were either closing in or dropping down from above. The two went on, panting heavily until they saw an oblong doorway to the side. They could also see another wall advancing on them from the opposite end of the corridor. Radiant Dawn dove sideways through the doorway and rolled a half dozen yards down the connected hallway, but Scarlet stumbled on her outfit and fell right in front of the doorway.

"Mom! Nooooo!" Radiant cried out in desperation, laying in the hall as the walls closed in on Scarlet.

Scarlet tried to get up, but her robe was caught on a crack in the floor. She calmly closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable impact...

But the impact never came; the walls stopped moving right before they would've crushed her, leaving enough space for a walk-in closet.

Scarlet opened her eyes, and looked around confused. Radiant, whose heart was beating non-stop, sighed in relief and nearly fainted.

"Oh, mom!" Radiant panted, frantically. "I thought you were a goner!"

"It's okay, Radiant." said Scarlet, comforting her son. "I'm still here."

"I know, but..." said Radiant. "I thought I was...you know, gonna lose you again."

"Imagine if we were in each other's positions." said Scarlet. "You and Sunset mean the whole world to me, son."

"I know..."

"Which is why we can't let this place get the best of us." said Scarlet. "We need to get going if we want to find Sunset and Trixie."

Scarlet continued on, when she noticed that she had ripped her robes during the previous fall.

"Aw, mom." said Radiant. "Your priestess gown's ruined!"

"Ah...it was bound to happen sooner or later." said Scarlet, shaking her head. "Such a beautiful thing, too. Well, this isn't exactly the time to look pretty or formal, anyway."

Her horn glowed, telekinetically unbuttoning the torn outfit and stripping it from her body and placing it in her saddle-bag. Underneath the robe, she was wearing a suit of kevlar armor that was painted green-and-brown in a camouflage pattern.

"Whoa, mom!" Radiant chuckled. "You are just so amazing!"

"Who do you think you got it all from?" Scarlet replied flatly.

She levitated a green-and-brown military cap out of her saddle-bag, and put it on her head.

"Now let's get moving." said Scarlet, moving forward.

"Yes, ma'am!" said Radiant, with a salute.

King Nelphyn advanced on Trixie, his eye-sockets exhuming trails of red vapors, as Trixie's horn continued to glow. King Nelphyn's gnarled teeth began to grind together as twin beams of energy shot forth from his eyes. Trixie shot a counter-spell from her own horn, deflecting the eye-beams so that they went knocked upwards, rupturing the ceiling. King Nelphyn looked up, annoyed.

"Think fast!" shouted Trixie.

She then shot a concussive spell from her horn, that hit Nelphyn in the torso. And again, and again, and again. He groaned angrily, hunched over, but then stood upright again. He stared Trixie down intensely, his eye-vapors becoming thicker and thicker. Trixie's own eyes widened and dilated, and she took a smoke-bomb out from under her cloak. She dropped it, forming a smokescreen for her to flee. But King Nelphyn teleported in front of her the moment she turned around.

"Perhaps you ought to think fast now." King Nelphyn said.

"Huh?" Trixie said, confused.

Then with swifter-than-sight speed, he grabbed Trixie by the neck, and tossed her into the air through the hole created by the previous blast. She was sent spiraling out the roof of the pyramid, when a flash of red light filled the darkness and there was King Nelphyn, suspended in mid-air. He smashed down on her back with his hooves, sending her back down the same hole into King Nelphyn's throne room. Nelphyn teleported back down, just in time to catch Trixie in his front hooves.

"Maybe I shouldn't kill you after all." said Nelphyn.

"Please don't." said Trixie, breathlessly.

"All these so-called champions and masters that claim to be all-powerful." said Nelphyn, grinning sinisterly at the unicorn mare he cradled. "But in fact, they're all flash and no substance. I used to hate that so, but with you? You take it to a unique level. I've been so bored of the human world's entertainment that I've almost forgotten what you lesser equines are capable of. That's why you're going to be the first mare in my harem when I re-claim Saddle Arabia for myself. Would you like that...showpony?"

"On second though, I'd prefer you just kill me right now." said Trixie, disgusted.

"Very well." said King Nelphyn.

Then he raised his front hooves, intending to break Trixie in half, when Lightning Dust rushed towards them, and swiped Trixie from Nelphyn's grasp.

"Pegasi, always flying everywhere." Nelphyn said quietly.

The Alicorn Amulet glowed, and he teleported again, grabbing Lightning Dust in mid-air and then dropping to the ground.

"Valiant, but pathetic." Nelphyn told Lightning. "But a gnat is still a gnat."

He seized her wings, clearly intending to rip them off, but Trixie blasted spells at King Nelphyn, blind-siding him.

"You were fighting Trixie, remember?" she reminded him.

"How could I ever forget about you?"

Trixie galloped up to him, and made a leap, grappling with him by the neck. King Nelphyn reared back on his hind-legs, as he attempted to wrestle her off, but the tight grip this small unicorn had, combined with his own long legs, simply made it awkward to get her off of him.

The Alicorn Amulet started to rapidly flash, bathing the two in doses of its red light.

Sunset Shimmer slowly got up and saw this.

"What's going on?" she muttered, confused.

Then she realized who was fighting Nelphyn.

"Trixie, what're you doing?!" she gasped. "Don't you understand that he's out of your league."

"Nopony is out of the Great and Powerful Trixie's league!" Trixie shouted back, angrily. "Not you, not the Changelings, not the princesses, not even this oversized brute!"

The Alicorn Amulet flashed brighter and brighter. Trixie started to glare at Nelphyn with a feral rage.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is second to none!" Trixie shouted at Nelphyn.

"Then prove it!" Nelphyn growled back.

"With pleasure."

Her horn started to glow purple, then mauve, then red, as did her eyes.

She blasted a very powerful spell point-blank into Nelphyn's face. His entire head was consumed in Trixie's aura, and he fell over. Trixie let go just before she would be crushed under Nelphyn's body. For a moment, She was puffing and growling angrily. But then the redness of her aura and eyes dissipated, and she started breathing normally with a puzzled and frightened look on her sweating face.

"What ...have...I...done?!" she whispered in shock.

She looked at King Nelphyn's face, and shrieked in horror at what she saw: Most of the flesh and hair on King Nelphyn's head had been blasted away, exposing a massive portion of his skull. A few sinews of muscle tissue spread across the bones were the only thing keeping the skin from falling off altogether, and the eye sockets were perfectly pitch-black, with no signs of eyeballs. or anything at all. His now-lipless jaws and teeth were fixed in a manic grin.

"I didn't know...I had it in me." Trixie quivered.

Her eyes started to water.

"Trixie, it's okay!" Sunset went up to comfort her, putting a hoof around her neck. "He was pure evil, anyway."

"But that power...I can't believe I had it."

"I don't think that was your power." said Sunset. "I think it came from the Alicorn Amulet."

"But I wasn't even wearing it."

"Maybe it remembered you." said Sunset. "It knew that you also wore it, so it surrendered a fraction of its power to you. That was how King Nelphyn was able to take it off of me back in the human world."

"Bah!" Trixie spat in disgust. "The Alicorn Amulet. I can't I ever considered using that thing. That thing made me do and say things I never thought I would. Now that I've seen what It can really do, I'm officially done with it. I'm going to destroy that thing once and for all. Even if it kills me."

"But Trixie..." Lightning Dust said. "You don't have to do that."

"Trixie does what Trixie must." said Trixie.

She approached King Nelphyn's immobile body, her horn glowing as she aimed at the Amulet. Just as she was charging her most powerful spell, the Alicorn Amulet glowed...

And then King Nelphyn got back up!

The Power of the Ram King

Scarlet Blaze and Radiant Dawn continued on down the hallway with their horns glowing, being as careful as possible not to step on any more suspicious tiles.

Daring Do and Crimson Blade found themselves cornered against a stone wall by two Maul-Ras, one of which apparently had lost a claw.

"So, do you know exactly how to fight them?" asked Daring.

"I was hoping to ask you the same thing." said Crimson, warily.

"I've fought a lot of weird creatures on my adventures..." said Daring. "But these guys really take the cake."

The two-handed Maul-Ra let out a roar as it held up its blaster-like weapons. The one-handed Maul-Ra let out a similar roar, when suddenly...

"Run!" hollered Nose Nip, as he and Golden Sun rushed by.

Crimson Blade, Daring Do, and the two Maul-Ras watched the two stallions gallop past them, then looked in the direction they were running from when they heard the sound of rushing water. To their alarm, a rising wave of water was racing towards them, flooding the empty streets. The Maul-Ras darted away, and started climbing a tall building.

"We better do the same!" shouted Daring Do over the noise.

Daring Do flew on down the street, and Crimson Blade galloped after Nose Nip and Golden Sun.

"What happened?!" Crimson shouted to them.

"It seems there was a natural resevoir of some sort in a higher cave, and something released it!" said Golden Sun.

They looked back even as they galloped. Some of the buildings in the city were being ruptured by the oncoming tide, and some even started to collapse beneath the waves. They managed to ascend to a tall flight of stairs where they would be safe from the flood.

"To think, thousands of years of history are being swept away in a matter of minutes!" Golden Sun commented.

"We should be grateful it wasn't us." Crimson panted.

"You don't need to tell me." said Nose Nip.

But the roars of the Maul-Ras announced that they too had evaded the oncoming tide, and were circling the group.

"But...what...how?!" Sunset Shimmer gasped.

"That blast should've killed you!" said Trixie.

King Nelphyn approached the three mares, the sinews and muscle started to regrow themselves across his face.

"Perhaps it would have..." he said. "Except I'm not exactly a normal equine! How do you think I was able to live for so long in the human world?"

"So...you're l-like a...z-z-zombie?" asked Lightning Dust, nervously.

"I sold my soul to my master long ago." said Nelphyn. "His power runs through my body, even now. You'll find I'm much harder to kill than I appear. The Chrysalis Syndicate with their automatic weapons couldn't kill me, so what makes you think you could do any better?"

"We'll find a way, Nelphyn." said Sunset. "You can count on it!"

"Perhaps, but you'd better prepare yourself." said Nelphyn. "I'm only beginning."

King Nelphyn removed his tattered raiment, revealing his cutie mark to the three mares.

"What's that, a black sideways eight?" said Lightning Dust. "So we have to kill you eight times?"

But Nelphyn let out a hard, but cold laugh.

"No, Lightning." said Sunset. "That's the infinity symbol."

"Correct, Sunset Shimmer." said Nelphyn. "My strength has unlimited potential. I can never become too powerful."

Sunset, Trixie, and Lightning backed away, and reared their heads as Nelphyn approached them. Suddenly, there was a high-pitched wail that echoed throughout the chamber. Sunset, Trixie, and Lightning covered their ears, while King Nelphyn hunched his head forward, his face tensed up. Once the wail died away, a deep, menacing voice was heard.

"Your game...ends here, King Nelphyn." said the voice.

"Master, why do you interfere?!" King Nelphyn growled.

"Because the time has come for you to carry out my plans!" said the voice. "And you will do so, even if I have to hold your hoof all the way!"

"O Saegmuntitus, that is...most unnecessary." King Nelphyn argued back. "Why, I was only seconds from finishing off these vagabonds when you--"

"Silence!" bellowed Saegmuntitus. "You have tested my paitience for the last time, and you must pay the price!"

"That voice...sounds very familiar." Sunset muttered.

"Correct, Sunset Shimmer." said the voice of Saegmuntitus. "I've kept an eye on you and your so-called cohorts for some time now, as I have done for all of your kind."

"So...that dream I had on the Summerstar." said Sunset Shimmer. "And that creature I saw..."

Suddenly, the ceiling of the chamber was shrouded in darkness. To the mares' mutual shock, a massive, shadowy, horned head of a ram emerged from it, with two glowing red eyes. Though the face was mostly shrouded in darkness, Sunset could see that it had pale gray flesh, black wool, and a corroded gold nose-ring.

"Yesssss..." said the head, slowly. "That was me. I shall take the liberty of formally introducing myself to you, my little ponies: Saegmuntitus, the Ram King. Master of the Nether Darkness and the Void."

"A sheep?" Trixie said, unamused. "King Nelphyn's been working for...a sheep?!"

"You're the one behind this whole thing, aren't you?" said Sunset.

"Naturally." said Saegmuntitus. "King Nelphyn may be stronger than any other pony that lived, but his ambitions have always hindered his potential. But in the end, he is expendable like the rest."

"'Like the rest'?" asked Sunset. "You've got others working for you?"

"Of course." said Saegmuntitus. "I have consistently lived for eons from the security of my realm, scrutinizing everything that occurs in your pitiful world, and the world of the humans, putting my plots into effect throughout those long ages."

"Your plots are gonna be stopped!" said Lightning Dust. "Once the Princesses--"

"The Alicorns mean nothing to me." said Saegmuntitus. "They have grown docile and weak, as I have grown stronger and stronger."

"Why don't you come down and prove it then?" Trixie demanded.

"Ha...in due time." said Saegmuntitus. "I'm afraid the time hasn't arrived for me to do that...but I can assure the Great and Powerful Trixie...that it will happen soon. But I didn't want to deny King Nelphyn the chance to fight you three once more. So I'm giving him that chance, effective immediately."

"Master, what--" King Nelphyn began, before howling with pain.

Suddenly, King Nelphyn started flailing his head around, as the shadowy apparition of Saegmuntitus vanished. He lifted his front hooves into the air, and his eyes blasted forth twin beams of energy, that ruptured the ceiling of the chamber, and blasted a massive hole in the plateau above. The Alicorn Amulet glowed, and dark clouds appeared in the sky above. Lightning sprang from the clouds, and struck the Alicorn Amulet. The resulting aura enveloped King Nelphyn's body, transforming him into his armored form.

"Now, to make one last addition to your form." said Saegmuntitus's voice.

King Nelphyn's armored body began to glow, and two metallic wings appeared from the sides of his body, and a long horn appeared from the brow of his head.

"Did he just turn into a..." said Trixie, breathlessly.

Sunset remembered her encounter with King Nelphyn in the human world, when he transformed into his armored form. When he confronted the Chrysalis Syndicate, he had grown pegasus wings and a unicorn's horn. However, they didn't seem to function as well, since Nelphyn had detached the wings and used them as shields.

But the Alicorn Amulet glowed around King Nelphyn's necks, and its aura encompassed the metallic wings, which started to flap up and down rapidly and slowly ascended into the air.

Golden Sun, Nose Nip, and the others were still surrounded by the Maul-Ras, when suddenly King Nelphyn rose out of the top of the pyramid, his body glowing red like an evil star.

"Oh, boy." said Golden Sun, looking up. "That can't be good...not one bit."

King Nelphyn crossed his front hooves, and then intensely swung them apart. The earth started to shake.

"Definitely not good!" agreed Crimson Blade.

Frosty, Pressure Point, Teddy, and Sunflower were galloping towards the plateau, when they felt a rumbling.

"Hey, what's goin' on?!" Frosty exclaimed.

In a matter of seconds, the entire plateau tore itself away, gradually exposing the flooded, subterranean city to the surrounding desert.

"Holy cheese puffs!" Pressure Point shouted, once the resulting dust and ash cleared away.

"Look!" said Teddy, pointing at the sky where the top of the plateau used to be.

It was King Nelphyn, hovering menacingly in the air.

Scarlet Blaze and Radiant Dawn rushed into the chamber where Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, and Lightning Dust were.

"Mom! Red!" Sunset exclaimed when she saw them.

"Sunny! Lightning!" said Radiant, rushing towards his sister and girlfriend and wrapping them in his front hooves.

"Thank Celestia you're all okay." Scarlet panted.

"We won't be for long." said Sunset, pointing up at the destroyed ceiling. "Look!"

They saw King Nelphyn hovering in the sky...

"Wait, what happened to the plateau?" Radiant noticed.

"Forget the plateau, how did he get those wings?" said Scarlet. "I thought he was supposed to be an earth pony!"

"I don't know." said Sunset. "But I've gotta stop him before he does something."

"Sunset, wait!"

But Sunset already teleported out of the chamber and onto the pinnacle of the pyramid.

King Nelphyn scanned the surrounding landscape, and saw the Summerstar stationed on a stretch of sand near the city. He blasted his eye-beams at the zeppelin, when something deflected the projectiles: A vast, winged red-and-gold form.

"Hey, isn't that the bird that we saw before?" said Teddy. "On the way here?"

"I think it might be." said Pressure Point. "It certainly doesn't look anything like those birds that attacked us just a while ago."

Sunset looked at the giant bird, and at King Nelphyn, who were staring each other down in mid-air. The more that Sunset looked at the bird, the more she realized how much it looked like a phoenix. But it was far too big to be one.

The giant bird sped towards King Nelphyn, firing a beam of energy from its mouth at him. But Nelphyn deflected it, and fired his own eye-beams, which the bird dodged. Then after a few more similar exchanges, they blasted each other again at the same time, resulting in an explosion that knocked them both back through the air. The bird staggered. but Nelphyn recuperated instantly and unleashed another blast of his eye-beams.

"No!" Sunset shouted, blasting a powerful spell of her own at Nelphyn.

But the eye-beams smote the bird in the chest, and sent it crashing down into a building. Sunset teleported down beside the injured bird.

"Are you okay?" she said to it, since she figured it out that it was on her side.

The bird nodded its head at Sunset. Its right wing was horribly battered from the blast and crash.

"Don't worry." said Sunset. "You don't need to get yourself in danger. I'll take it from here."

"No." said a female voice Sunset never heard before. "You must not fight this tyrant on your own."

Sunset looked around, confused.

"I am the one speaking to you." said the voice again.

Sunset looked at the bird.

"You're...speaking to me?"

"I am." said the bird, speaking telepathically. "We haven't much time to discuss this, but you may call me the Phoenix Matron. My little pony, there is a greater evil at work here than you would expect. King Nelphyn of Megalon is a mere puppet under the control of an all-powerful menace. One that I have known and fought for eons."

"Saegmuntitus." deduced Sunset.

"Yes." nodded the Phoenix Matron, nodding her head. "I had felt his evil before, when he entered your dreams when you were aboard your airship. But he had split his connection to this physical plane before I could intervene. Fortunately, I was able to drive away the evil of his creatures before any of your friends met their demise."

"So that was you that drove those shadow-ponies away?" said Sunset. "Thank you."

"But it seems that now, I alone cannot fight the evils of Saegmuntitus, especially not when the power of the Alicorn Amulet is at his minion's disposal."

"But you're too injured to keep fighting." argued Sunset.

"I'm not too injured to help you." said the Phoenix. "With our combined abilities, we may yet be victorious."

"Combine our abilities?" asked Sunset, puzzled. "What did you have in mind?"

The Final Judgement

Sunset Shimmer looked into the Phoenix Matron's glowing eyes of gold, as they gazed back into her own blue-green eyes.

"There is only one way that this conflict can be resolved." spoke the telepathic voice. "I will lend my power to you to defeat this evil."

"Your time is at an end, Sunset Shimmer!" shouted a distorted voice from above.

Sunset looked up, and saw King Nelphyn about to fire his eye-beams down on her and the Phoenix Matron.

"You won't last a moment now..." said the distorted voice, which sounded half like Nelphyn and half like Saegmuntitus.

"...so you ought to prepare yourself..." said Saegmuntitus in his dark realm.

"...for your imminent demise!"

King Nelphyn was about to fire his smoking eye-beams at Sunset, when suddenly the Phoenix Matron's entire body burst into flames and collapsed on Sunset Shimmer's body, incinerating them both in a fiery mass. All that was left of either was a mound of red-hot ash in a rough avian shape. The sight surprised not only King Nelphyn, but everyone else present.

"Sunset!" shrieked Golden Sun, horrified and tear-stricken at what he saw. "Nooooooo!"

But before he or anyone else could react any further, the Maul-Ras took the time to resume their assault on his group. They lunged forward, clawing Nose Nip across his back and leaving three long parallel gashes on his coat, and he doubled over in pain and shock.

Frosty saw this from where he stood, and howled in rage as he charged across the ruined city at the pyramid.

"That was my buddy, you b--"

"big, ugly freaks!" shouted the voice of Maud Pie, in genuine anger, as she bolted past him at lightning speed through the ruins of a flooded building, up the stairs, and pounced on one of the Maul-Ras, pummeling it thoroughly. She didn't stop until she had broken it in half from the waist.

Crimson Blade stepped over the upper half of the Maul-Ra, and blasted it with an incendiary spell from his horn. But the Maul-Ra was still alive, and kept lashing out with its claws.

"Loathsome creature." Crimson growled.

The other Maul-Ra, which only had one claw, leapt to its counterpart's aid, just as Scarlet Blaze, Radiant Dawn, Trixie Lulamoon, and Lightning Dust emerged from the main entrance of the pyramid, which was blasted down in a large noisome explosion along with a portion of the surrounding walls. But before they could surround him, Frosty came galloping madly up the stairs and blasted a freezing spell at the Maul-Ra, which was frozen solid in seconds. Then he jumped into the air and knocked its head off with his front-left hoof, then Nose Nip got up and broke the rest of the body to pieces before spitting on the head and stomping on it with his hoof till the head shattered.

Maud grabbed a nearby stone from the destroyed gateway and smashed it repeatedly into the first Maul-Ra's face before dropping the entire thing down on its head. She inhaled and exhaled through her nostrils, then returned to her same neutral expression.

"That's for hurting my friends." said Maud, plainly to the Maul-Ra. "If you're still alive, I don't recommend doing it again."

King Nelphyn descended to the phoenix-ashes, and pressed his hoof in the middle of it.

"A shame that Sunset's life would end this way." said King Nelphyn, dully. "I was hoping to get a challenge out of her before her time came."

"Be careful what you wish for..." said an echoing voice. "Because it's exactly what you're getting."

Suddenly, the ashes rekindled into a blazing golden-red inferno, just as King Nelphyn backed away. The flame took shape as a flaming, winged effigy of Sunset Shimmer. The Phoenix-Shimmer approached King Nelphyn, her eyes glowing with the same color as the Phoenix Matron's.

"Very clever." said Saegmuntitus' voice, through King Nelphyn's metallic maw. "You choose to merge yourself with a lesser equine to battle my own? That is an all-time low, Gyldreth."

"I may not be able to defeat you in this state, Saegmuntitus..." said the Phoenix-Shimmer. "But the least I can do is defeat your puppet."

"We will see..."

King Nelphyn ascended into the sky, his metallic wings being telekinetically flapped once more. The Phoenix-Shimmer followed suit, leaving a trail of golden smoke behind her wings. The other ponies stood by, watching in awe at this sight.

"Well, this is something I haven't seen in a while." commented Daring Do, staring blankly at the two combatants.

"What...what just happened to my sister?" Radiant asked, idly.

"I don't know, son." said Golden Sun. "I don't know."

"This...ends...NOW!" blared the Phoenix-Shimmer, whose voice echoed throughout the ruined city and the surrounding desert.

King Nelphyn blasted a ray of dark energy from his metal horn at her, followed by the two connected eye-beams from their sockets. Phoenix-Shimmer responded in kind, firing a beam of energy that shimmered between gold and various shades of red, along with two eye-beams of Sunset's own heavenly bluish-green aura. The angelic beauty of the Phoenix-Shimmer's magic collided with the malevolent product of King Nelphyn's fury in the sky, creating a red-and-blue sphere of energy where they met, constantly growing and shrinking as they continued.

King Nelphyn's horn began to glow brighter and brighter and he started to growl viciously. The sphere began to move towards the Phoenix-Shimmer, who started to grunt and struggle to push it back with her own power.

"C'mon, let's help her out!" Trixie shouted to the others. "Unicorns, follow my lead!"

She fired a spell from her horn at King Nelphyn, and the other unicorns present joined in. Even Pressure Point, who was still half-way across the ruined city got the memo, and started firing every offensive spell he could think of at Nelphyn.

Blind-sided and distracted by the sudden flurry of magic spells, King Nelphyn only had time to fire a single blast at Pressure Point, who deflected it hastily, before the sphere of magical aura connected with the aura of the Alicorn Amulet, causing a massive explosion that consumed King Nelphyn's armored body whole and destroyed his wings. He dropped to the ground with the intensity of a meteorite, causing the earth to start shaking and cracking around his red-hot and partially-melted body. Water from the ruins started to pour into the crater caused by Nelphyn's crash, and it started to rapidly cool off his body, trapping it in place.

The Phoenix-Shimmer descended to the rim of the crater, her horn glowing. She was about to deal the final blow, when suddenly...

"No!" thought Sunset Shimmer. "I can't do this. It isn't right!"

"Sunset Shimmer, what discourages you from acting for the greater good?" asked Gyldreth the Phoenix Matron.

"Nelphyn may be a despicable tyrant, but..." said Sunset. "It just doesn't seem fair to kill him, not when it's clear he's been manipulated by Saegmuntitus."

"Many have been manipulated by the Ram King's evil." said Gyldreth. "But Nelphyn has proven himself to be evil even without--"

"I'm not denying that." said Sunset. "But I don't wanna kill him like this. I don't even wanna kill him at all. There are other ways he can be brought to justice without taking his life. Even if I did, would I really be any better than him, if I killed him under these circumstances? He's a troubled soul. No matter how evil he is...he still had such a sad life. And I pity him because of it."

"I don't know what you are doing..." said King Nelphyn, whose voice rose from his motionless armored head. "But if you plan to finish me off, then by all means...do so. I've lived many long centuries in either solitude and misery, in the service of a god of evil. Considering that you were able to best me, I'm willing to assume you might have a chance against the Ram King!"

"Why are you telling me this?" asked the Phoenix-Shimmer.

"Because if there's one thing I hate more than lesser equines such as yourself, let alone the humans...it's being ruled by another." said King Nelphyn. "And Saegmuntitus is no exception. So the final judgement is yours, my little pony..."

The Phoenix-Shimmer looked at him, scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes and a glowing horn. Suddenly, a white-hot tear fell from her glowing eyes, which closed. Her fiery form burst into a mass of fire, which then parted from her body, restoring Sunset Shimmer to her original unicorn form, with the Phoenix Matron standing nearby.

"No." said Sunset. "I won't kill you, Nelphyn."

"How you disappoint me, Sunset Shimmer." growled Nelphyn, whose eye-sockets started to flicker red. "You have the power to end my eternal torment, yet you don't use it. Not even for a mercy kill."

"I promise I will end your torment, but it won't be by killing you." said Sunset. "It'll be done by breaking whatever hold Saegmuntitus has on you, and whatever he has planned for the rest of us."

"Saegmuntitus is a god, you simpleton. All the unicorn and alicorn magic in the world couldn't stop him. Not now, anyway."

"What do you mean?" said Sunset. "If unicorn and alicorn magic can't stop him, then what can?"

"Must I give you all the answers?!" asked King Nelphyn, angered. "Unless you plan to put me out of my misery with your irritating questions, we have no further reason to converse. Since you are so unwilling to do something as generous as granting a condemned stallion his last request, then I will have to carry it out myself. If I were you, I'd start running now."

There was a hint of remorse in the last sentence; Sunset was surprised to see tears leaking from Nelphyn's eye-sockets, down his metal cheeks. Before Sunset could figure out what was happening, the eye-sockets started glowing brighter and brighter, and the Alicorn Amulet started to flash. The light began to expand over his entire body, then the crater...

"N-Nelphyn, don't! Please! You don't have to do this!" Sunset started to sob when she realized what was happening.

"That is not something you can decide for me!" Nelphyn's voice told her in a soft tone. "I've made my choice...now it's time to make yours."

"Sunny, are you okay?!" Sunset heard Radiant Dawn call to her.

She saw him and the others galloping towards her.

"Run! Run for your lives!" shrieked Sunset, frantically. "He's gonna blow this whole place sky-high!"

"What?!" hollered Daring Do. "Seriously?! Then we better move now! C'mon, everypony!"

Sunset joined the rest of the group, and they all stampeded towards the Summerstar as fast as they could.

"Sunset, why don'tcha teleport away?" said Radiant, panting. "At least you can make it!"

"It's not gonna make a difference." said Sunset, breathing heavily. "It looks like we might not survive even if we all made it to the zeppelin, the way that energy's building up!"

"I was about to say the same thing!" said Golden Sun.

"Keep going." said Gyldreth, flying over them all. "I will do my best to contain the explosion."

"But...what?!" gasped Sunset.

"All I ask is that you trust me, my little pony." said Gyldreth.

"What would--"

Then the great bird flew back to the crater, and soared through the expanding radius of flashing aura, even as it started to deteriorate her body. She wrapped her great wings around King Nelphyn's body and bound him in her talons. Her wings caught fire, but she wouldn't let go. Her eyes began to glow brighter and brighter.

"Felix, look!" shouted Silver Schmitar, standing at the broken gate of Mareusalem with Felix Summerset.

On the horizon, a pillar of smoke shot up out of the ground, and an expanding blast of red light; a second sun followed, before fading away. More smoke rose up by the cluster, along with sand riding what appeared to be shockwaves.

"By the gods..." said Felix. "That is where Miss Sunset and her friends went! What could have happened?"

"King Nelphyn's doing, no doubt." said Schmitar, with a grim tone in his voice. "Rally a squad and investigate. By the looks of things, someone lost a battle, and I want to find out who...or whom."

Victory!

There was a loud boom!, and a flash of red light. The air surrounding the crater was pushed away by the energy detonated by King Nelphyn. Gyldreth and Nelphyn's body both vanished in the blast, but the efforts of the former prevented most of the fire from passing beyond the immediate radius of the crater. However, that did not stop the shockwaves from riding the air, or the earth from rumbling beneath the feet of the escaping group.

The shockwaves were so powerful that not only were clouds of sand kicked upwards, but entire buildings were disintegrated by the sheer intensity of the blast, and cracks began to open up in the earth as what remained of the plateau crumbled into the surrounding desert, and the sky was darkened by all the ash and sand in the air, making it hard to tell where the ponies were going and it would only be a matter of time before the super-heated air would cause them to suffocate.

"Where--agh!--is anything?!" choked Frosty.

"This stuff's not good for anything!" Nose Nip coughed. "Especially not in my condition! I feel like someone's playing with my scars!"

"Hang on, everypony." said Radiant Dawn. "Let's not forget I can detect weather patterns from miles away. Just follow me, and I'll get everyone to the nearest safe spot!"

"We won't have time!" said Lightning Dust. "I can handle this!"

She flew circles in the sky, creating a tornado that absorbed most of the ashstorm, and sent it spiraling away. Once most of it was gone, Bathilda and the Megamite larva both crawled out from underneath Maud's clothing, the former beating herself on the back with her wing and coughing up sand.

"Oh, Ellie Jaye!" Lightning said, rushing to grab the Megamite larva and nurture it in her hooves. "Don't you worry, sweetie. Mommy's here for ya!"

The Megamite larva trilled and clicked as it moved its head around.

"You named that thing Ellie Jaye?" asked Trixie, once she caught her breath.

"Yeah." said Lightning. "You know...like 'L.J.'?"

Trixie looked at Lightning, confused.

"Lightning Junior?!" shrugged Lightning.

"You can't be serious about that, can you?" said Trixie. "Are you seriously telling me you're that thing like it's your baby?"

"Girls, that's enough!" said Daring Do. "We have important things to worry about."

Crimson Blade approached, carrying a wheezing Scarlet Blaze on his back.

"Mom!" Sunset and Radiant gasped at once.

Radiant galloped towards them.

"What happened, grandpa?"

"She collapsed during the ashstorm." said Crimson.

"I'm fine, daddy." coughed Scarlet. "It's just my asthma kicking in."

"I didn't know you had asthma, honey!" said Golden Sun.

"I'm not surprised." panted Scarlet. "I haven't felt it since I was a little filly. Until now, anyway. I hope it's not coming back..."

"Don't worry, Pressure Point can check your vitals back at the Summerstar." said Crimson. "In the mean-time, watch your breathing."

Scarlet couldn't help but snicker, even though it hurt her lungs to do so.

"Oh, dad." she said, hoarsely. "All these years, and ya still like to treat me like I'm a little filly."

"All these years, and you're still the most precious thing in my life." countered Crimson. "You'll always be my little filly, even if you're not so little anymore."

"But what happened?" asked Lightning. "What was that giant bird, and why was there an explosion?"

"The bird is...was a friend." said Sunset, softly. "We defeated King Nelphyn together, but King Nelphyn wanted something that I couldn't give him, so he did it himself."

"Wait, so King Nelphyn blew himself up?" asked Daring Do. "That's insane!"

"Yeah, he sounds like a real sore loser!" said Sunflower, who had caught up to the others, along with Teddy and Pressure Point.

Then there was a thin shadow, sweeping across the sky.

"It's probably those blasted Rocs again!" said Pressure Point.

Everyone looked up, bracing for an attack, but to their relief, it was Felix Summerset.

"Hello again, my friends!" said Felix, excited to see everypony. "It is so good to see you all alive and well. But what happened here?"

"The big bad king blew a fuse, so--"

"Cut the chatter, Frosty." said Nose Nip. "It's gonna be dark soon, and I don't wanna be out here with these scars in my back when the cold air sets in."

"Impressive." said Saegmuntitus, peering through the reaches of space and time. "So they managed to survive King Nelphyn. These ponies are crafty. But it hardly matters. 'The second mouse gets the cheese', as the saying goes. They have yet to see my true power, and it will be the last thing they ever see."

He let out a deep cackle that echoed in the void.

The moon was finally rising into the night sky after what seemed like a century of sunset, and the Summerstar was finally back in the air. Sunset, Trixie, and Lightning Dust were seated together at a poker table in one of the many rooms of the airship, playing a card game to pass the time. Lightning was winning, to Trixie's dismay.

"Alright, looks like this round's mine." said Lightning. "Pass over the chips."

"Fine." said Trixie, with a scowl.

She levitated fifty chips off the table to Lightning's end, and crossed her front hooves.

"What've you got, Sunset?" she asked aloud.

"Huh?" Sunset said, turning her face away from her cards. "Umm...it's looks like I just got a Royal Flush!"

She laid out the cards on the table, and Lightning and Trixie both sat there in awe.

"I have no idea how you do it, Sunset." said Lightning.

She yawned.

"Well, I'll be in my room. Li'l Ellie's probably bored out of her skull right now, so I'm gonna read her a bedtime story."

"Yeah...you do that." said Trixie, dryly.

"I think I'm gonna feed Bathilda." said Sunset. "Good night, Trix."

Sunset left the room shortly after Lightning Dust, while Trixie sat alone at the poker table, grumbling. Suddenly, the door opened and Teddy trotted inside.

"Hi, Trixie." he said, somewhat nervously.

"What's up...Teddy?" Trixie groaned.

"Hey, you mind if I sit with you?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Teddy sat in Sunset's seat, a weary look in his eyes. He looked out a nearby window.

"The Moon sure is beautiful, huh?" he said.

"Sure is." said Trixie, rolling her eyes.

"What's the matter?" asked Teddy.

"Ah...Trixie grows tired of this conversation." replied Trixie. "Trixie must retire to her room."

"Okay, but I just wanted to say something." said Teddy.

"Yes, and what is it?"

Trixie was gazing into Teddy's eyes with an irritated expression on her face.

"Uh...I'd like to know if..."

"Hmm...?"

"You would like to..."

Trixie cocked her head suspiciously, and Teddy started to sweat, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Watch the stars with me?" asked Teddy, fighting hard not to flinch. "Radiant Dawn said there ain't a cloud for miles."

"Well, I don't see why not." said Trixie.

She and Teddy went down to the lounge room, and looked out the glass windows at all the stars and constellations. It was a truly dazzling sight. They sat together on a couch, with Trixie grinning as she looked at the night sky. It wasn't long before she yawned, and leaned against Teddy, her eyes shutting slowly but tightly. Teddy put a hoof around Trixie's torso to press them closer together. Trixie, still partially awake, lifted a hoof to knock Teddy's away, but decided that she was comfortable with him and put her other hoof around Teddy's torso.

Sunset passed through the corridor, yawning slowly. Crimson Blade, who was walking in the opposite direction, came up to her.

"Evening, grandpa." she said.

"Sunset, you did good back there." said Crimson, putting a hoof on Sunset's back. "You did very good."

"Thanks." nodded Sunset.

"But still, I can't help but wonder what's gonna happen next." grumbled Crimson.

"Why? What's the matter?"

"It's just a matter of time before we all fly back to Equestria." said Crimson Blade. "I haven't spoken to Princess Celestia in years. Not since I was arrested."

He bowed his head in shame.

"Maybe I should stay here, in Saddle Arabia."

"Don't worry, gramps." smiled Sunset. "Celestia's very forgiving. I'm sure she can pardon you for whatever you did."

"Perhaps." said Crimson, stone-faced. "But I can't pardon myself for what I did."

"You just have to believe in yourself, grandpa. I was in the same boat too, so you can take my word for it."

"We'll see." said Crimson, who continued down the corridor. "Take care, little filly."

Crimson passed by Radiant Dawn's room, where he caught a glimpse of Lightning Dust nuzzling against him. Then he went into the infirmary, where Nose Nip, Scarlet Blaze, and Daring Do were having their injuries tended to by Pressure Point, with Maud Pie, Golden Sun, and Felix Summerset in attendance.

"All done." Pressure Point was telling Scarlet, who slowly climbed off her bed, and stretched.

"Thanks, doctor." said Scarlet.

She and Golden Sun went to the far side of the room, with Scarlet bending down to lick Golden Sun's upper lip.

"Scarlet!" Crimson said, with a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, daddy." said Scarlet, with a smile of her own.

"Well, I can definitely say that this was an interesting adventure little Sunset brought us all along for." said Golden Sun. "But I think we could all do with a vacation. Maybe...two-to-three weeks in Bridylon?"

Crimson chuckled.

"That would be great." he said. "It's been a while since I had any time to relax. Twenty-four years, I think."

Frosty was manning the steering wheel on the bridge of the Summerstar, since Nose Nip was recovering. Suddenly, he heard an eerie, but beautiful tune. One that he was compelled to move in rhythm to. Then he started to bang on some metal panels on the floor to add a beat to it.

Trixie was still sitting with Teddy, when she suddenly pulled away from him.

"Wow, how could Trixie forget?" she said. "We defeated an evil force. I think we should have a proper celebration."

"Wha..." said a confused Teddy.

Trixie dashed out of the room.

Golden Sun went up to the window.

"Years have passed, but there are some things that never get old." he mused, scrutinizing the night sky. He saw a glimpse of a red-gold light like a shooting star streaking across the sky. He could also swear that he heard the cry of a bird in the distance, then a sound like music.

"Such a beautiful light." he spoke softly to himself. "and that music is simply...spectacular."

Trixie ran to the loading bay of the zeppelin, and opened a large window. She let out a cluster of sparks and projectiles from her horn, that exploded in the sky as fireworks. She then repeated the process with every other window she could open. Their bangs and booms echoed throughout the night, and were audible throughout the airship.

Everyone else in the airship stopped what they were doing, went out to the windows, and stared in awe at the lights in the sky. Since the music was still going, Golden Sun started to hum, and then sing a song that he heard long ago, but couldn't remember where:

Two Weeks Later...

"Lieutenant Dawn, will you please pay attention to me?" said Captain Star Shield to Radiant Dawn, who was standing idly nearby in one of the corridors of the Canterlot palace.

Radiant was staring off into space, bored out of his mind.

"Lieutenant Dawn!" snapped Captain Shield.

"Oh!" Radiant snapped out of his trance-like state. "Sorry, man--I mean 'captain'. I was just thinking about something my friend Frosty told me! So what'd ya want?"

"Lieutenant Dawn, have you checked the lower levels like I ordered you to?"

"Of course, sir!" nodded Radiant. "No intruders down there but a couple rats and bats and a few moths. Nothing a guard couldn't handle."

"And what about the palace gardens?" said Captain Shield.

"All taken care of, too!" yawned Radiant. "Nopony's coming into this palace without any of us knowing."

Star Shield frowned.

"Lieutenant, you don't seem to have that much enthusiasm about being a guard." he said quietly.

"Look, sir. I'm sorry!" sighed Radiant. "It's just getting a little dull and repetitive for me. No offense, sir."

"I understand how you feel, Lieutenant Dawn." said Captain Shield. "I once felt the same way when I first joined the Royal Guard. But you are still young, and so it's natural that you should feel this way."

"I just wish I had more time to be, you know, me." said Radiant. "I haven't really had time to do anything with my sister since we went to Vanhoover."

"Normally, I wouldn't approve of this, but considering everything you and Sunset Shimmer have done for the Princesses lately, I will put in a good word to allow you to take the next week off from guard duty."

"Are you sure?" asked Radiant, curiously.

"Yes, but only if you promise to work twice as hard the week after." said Star Shield. "Do we have a deal?"

"Oh, yeah! You can sure count on me." said Radiant, smiling. "Just one little break is all I need, and I'll be working as hard for you as your lieutenant as Sunset is as Princess Luna's student!"

"Sunset Shimmer, please! Why must you insist on falling asleep during my lessons?" asked Princess Luna.

Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes, trying to stay awake. Her nightly lessons with Princess Luna were getting exhausting to say the least.

"Sorry, Luna." she said, exhausted. "But I'm just pooped. I've been doing these sessions and lessons and things for weeks now. I honestly don't have the energy to keep going."

"Perhaps you should make an attempt to adjust your sleeping schedule, Sunset?" suggested Luna. "I could help you do this, if you wish."

"Nah...I think I've got this one covered." said Sunset, whose horn began to glow. "Just leave it to me."

The fruit bat was still flying around without any sense of direction. Sunset was supposed to use a coordination spell--which could allow any animal under its effect to follow a pre-determined plan, route or strategy set upon it by its user--on the bat, but her loss of sleep made it harder and harder for her.

"One more time." Sunset muttered.

A bluish-green aura covered the bat's head. It stopped in mid-air, then started to do a loop-de-loop in mid-air. Sunset's eyelids dropped, and the bat dive-bombed against her head with a loud thump.

"Yow!" she cried out when the bat hit her.

She shook herself awake, and then tried again. The bat flew in a perfect triangular pattern before flying through a series of hoops that Princess Luna conjured in mid-air. It went through the first three hoops, but stumbled through the fourth and began spiraling to the ground. Sunset saw this and quickly used her telekinesis to catch the bat in mid-air. She canceled out her spell, and levitated the bat up to her face.

"Awww...poor girl!" she said, softly. "Bathilda, I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Bathilda the fruit bat shook its head with a small optimistic squeak, then extended a claw to give her owner a thumbs-up.

"There now. Mommy won't make you fly through any more of the princess's obstacles." said Sunset. "You should fly to the garden and get yourself a nice, juicy tomato."

The bat gleefully squeaked again, and flew out through the window and into the night sky.

"I will give your performance with the coordination spell a B...minus, but still a B." said Luna. "If you were able to stay awake, I'm sure you could've done much better."

"Yeah, yeah." said Sunset, quietly muttering under her breath. "Heard ya the first dozen or so times you said it."

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, so what are we doing next?" Sunset quickly, hoping to change the subject.

"Actually, I will conclude this lesson for tonight, my student." said Princess Luna. "I have subjects to tend to, after all."

"I'm really sorry that I wasn't able to stay awake, princess." said Sunset.

"We shall discuss this tomorrow, Sunset Shimmer." said Luna. "Good night."

Sunset left the chamber, and went into the corridor, and reflected on the past two weeks. Her time as Princess Luna's student was becoming rather dull. All lessons were taken exclusively inside the palace, her brother Radiant Dawn was caught up in Night Guard-related work for Captain Star Shield, and even her friends were too busy doing other things: Trixie was practicing for her next big performance while doing side-work for her cousin Dr. Pressure Point as a nurse, and Lightning Dust was on a mission with Princess Luna's Shadowbolts. Even Teddy was busy with some new friends of his here in Canterlot.

She also had very little news from the other settlements of Equestria: Sunset was getting less and less fan mail from Fillydelphia, her mother Scarlet Blaze had yet to send any noteworthy messages from Vanhoover, and even Princess Celestia had not received any news about King Nelphyn's whereabouts. Not even a rumor about any Changeling activity anywhere in Equestria. Either Lord Umbriel was being kept on a short leash this time, or the Changeling Royal Family was still hunting for King Craw.

Sunset Shimmer had not participated in any exciting events since two weeks ago, when she battled the Chrysalis Syndicate all on her own in the human world. Though she still missed Sergeant Craw, her boyfriend who happened to be the human counterpart of the infamous renegade Changeling of the same name, she was able to get on with her own life knowing she was able to make-up with him before she came back to Equestria. It did not stop her from feeling rather bored, though. The most noteworthy thing she had done since then was when she got her new pet bat, Bathilda.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wonder what Twilight Sparkle's doing." Sunset muttered to herself as she went back to her bedroom. "I bet she gets to do all kinds of cool and awesome stuff with her own friends, especially being a princess and all, while I'm stuck doing the graveyard shift with Princess Luna."

She came to her bedroom door, and looked towards the door to Trixie's old bedroom. It had been so quiet now that Trixie had moved out of the palace. She looked at Lightning Dust's door, but heard no noise within; Lightning still hadn't come back from her mission.

Then she remembered what Quick Shot said to her in Vanhoover, about the premiere of his movie in Las Pegasus. It was supposed to have premiered a week ago, but was delayed for unknown reasons. Maybe she and her friends could go check it out some time.

"Come to think of it, I haven't been to a movie theatre." said Sunset, sleepily.

She went into her bedroom, and tucked into her bed, falling asleep quickly.

In a village located in the deserts of Saddle Arabia, two stallions were having a conversation with each other on the outskirts. These two were considered outcasts by their village for their raucous and impolite behavior.

"Then I says to him: He must-a be crazy." said Black Scarab to his friend. "And then he say to me: 'He must-a be stoned!' Then I say: 'I tell you he already is'!"

The two Saddle Arabians laughed.

"Scarab, you...you are funny." said the other stallion, gasping for breath.

"I see you two have nothing important in your futures." said a third voice.

The two looked to see a third Saddle Arabian with a black mane and red-rimmed sunglasses approaching them.

"Ah! Welcome, friend...not!" said Black Scarab. "Take a hike!"

The third stallion said nothing.

"Go now, stupid one." said the second stallion, fighting the urge to laugh. "You waste our time."

"That makes two of us, apparently." said the third stallion. "You two are by far the biggest morons I have ever met."

"Yes...Black Scarab is stupid...not!" said the first. "Now go away, or we will call the guards and have them stone you."

The two started laughing idiotically, as the third stallion removed his tan cloak, revealing the black amulet he was wearing on his neck. The second stallion gasped.

"Scarab, do you know what this is?!" he panicked, then turned to run.

The pendant began to glow with a red aura, and shot a current of red lightning at him, engulfing him in red light as he hung suspended in the air.

"Wah wah wee wah." said Black Scarab. "Good trick...not!"

The red aura that surrounded Scarab's friend then shot its own current at Scarab himself. The two Saddle Arabians floated closer to the magic user.

"I do hope that not all Saddle Arabians are degenerates like you two." said the stranger. "I want subjects to rule over without having to turn them all into mindless zombies. Personally, I think you two would be better off as mindless zombies."

"Please! Spare us!" said Black Scarab. "We give you our wives, our daughters! Anything!"

"Filthy cowards. You two village idiots are nothing to me."

Then a ghastly wail filled his mind.

"King Nelphyn!" boomed a familiar voice in his head.

Nelphyn paused, and replied telepathically.

"Saegmuntitus!" he mentally said in surprise. "I didn't expect to hear from you so soon!"

"Nelphyn, why do you insist on wasting your time on those pathetic villagers?!" demanded the voice of the Ram King. "My plans are still in motion, you fool."

"Of course, master." said Nelphyn. "But I still have my own mission in Saddle Arabia to complete, and I need time to do so."

"Then you better complete it soon, my equine servant, or you will know suffering beyond comprehension!" said the voice of Saegmuntitus. "You have until the end of the month, or I will send another of my agents to dispose of you and everyone else that obstructs my goals! And I assure you: He does not tolerate ponykind, and you are no exception."

The voice died away, and Nelphyn stood there with a furious expressions on his face. He looked at the two Saddle Arabians that were still floating telekinetically in front of him. He snarled at them, and they just cowered. Nelphyn used the Alicorn Amulet's telekinesis to thrust them both into the air, pull them back with lightning speed, and then shoot them into the wild blue yonder.

"Very well, master." said King Nelphyn. "You want me to complete my task?"

Nelphyn removed his red-rimmed sunglasses, revealing his glowing red eye-sockets.

"Then I shall." he said with an ominous tone in his voice.

The Road to Las Pegasus, Part 1

Sunset Shimmer and her friends were all on the train, sitting together in a compartment. They looked out as the train passed through the countryside. Mountains, forests, and lakes passed them by. There was little noise but the sound of the train's engine chugging up and down and the whistle going off every once in a while. In Sunset's hooves, Bathilda was snoozing peacefully and silently while bundled in a neckerchief like a foal in its blanket.

"You doing all right, sweetie?" asked Sunset, in a motherly tone.

Bathilda squeaked in her slumber, twitched her ear, then rustled a little inside the neckerchief to make herself comfortable.

"Such a good little girl." Sunset chuckled, then quickly hid the fruit bat from sight when an attendant came trotting their way.

"You don't have to do that, Sunny." said Radiant. "I checked with the conductor, and he said that pets are allowed in the first three cars."

"Thanks, Red." Sunset smiled, then sighed as she continued to cradle Bathilda. "You know, it's funny we're going back to Vanhoover so soon."

"You're telling me." said Teddy, nervously.

"Don't worry, Ted." said Radiant Dawn. "We'll only be passing through to get to the docks. I doubt you'd be getting in any trouble so soon."

"Yeah...right." nodded Teddy, nervously.

"I think all of us could this vacation." said Sunset. "Considering all the crazy stuff we've all been through."

"That's right, Sunny." said Radiant. "I think we really filled our Changeling-battling quota a lllllllllooooooonnnnnnggggg time ago. At least we'll get a nice change of scenery!"

"We all deserve to go to Las Pegasus." agreed Trixie. "Especially me."

Sunset, Teddy, and Radiant made strange looks at Trixie.

"What?" asked Trixie.

"You know, it's funny that the last time we took a train to Vanhoover, it was snowing like crazy and we were attacked by Changelings." said Radiant.

"Yeah, and I was almost sent flying off the train." said Sunset. "Good think we won't have to deal with anything half that crazy in Las Pegasus."

Lightning Dust returned to Canterlot Castle, and made her report to the Princesses.

"...So after four days of scoping these guys, they made their move by robbing the local museum to swipe the Crystal Scepter." said Lightning. "Good thing me and my Shadowbolts were there to save the day!"

"Lightning Dust, did you find out who these criminals were working for, or why they wanted to steal the scepter?" asked Princess Celestia.

"I don't know who would want it so bad, but the curator said that somepony from Las Pegasus might be involved."

Celestia frowned.

"Sister, what's the matter?" said Princess Luna.

"I just have a bad feeling that I know who might be behind this." said Princess Celestia.

"What do you mean, Celestia?" asked Princess Luna.

"Well, not too long ago, I had a meeting with a Saddle Arabian stallion named Lionel Summerset. He was the head of a company in the city of Las Pegasus."

ONE YEAR AGO...

"Mr. Summerset, I admire what you and your organization have done for the city of Las Pegasus." said Princess Celestia, who was personally giving her esteemed guest a tour of the palace.

"It always flatters me to speak with a fan of my work." said Summerset, who spoke with a deep, smooth intellectual voice*. "It flatters me even more knowing this fan is one of the princesses of Equestria."

Princess Celestia couldn't help but blush.

"Thank you." she said.

"So, princess...I understand that you have recently re-acquired the Elements of Harmony?" asked Summerset.

"Of course." said Celestia. "Although I would credit my student Twilight Sparkle for that."

"Twilight Sparkle?" said Mr. Summerset. "Funny, I was told by my associates that your student was a Miss Sunset Shimmer from Vanhoover?"

Celestia battled the urge to frown at this question.

"Umm...umm..." Celestia hesitated. "There were some...complications with her. So I took another student."

"Can she be reached at all?" asked Summerset.

"Why?" Celestia asked on an impulse.

"Well, I just thought I would meet the daughter of the late, great Professor Golden Sun." said Summerset. "He was a very good friend of mine a few years back. That is, before his unfortunate disappearance."

"I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid Sunset Shimmer is...unable to receive any messages at this time." said Princess Celestia.

"If you say so, princess." frowned Mr. Summerset. "Now on to business: Princess Celestia, I wish to rent the Elements of Harmony from you."

"Excuse me?" asked Princess Celestia with surprise.

"I plan on opening...a museum with all variations of exotic artifacts on display." said Summerset. "The tourism industry of Las Pegasus would boom for sure."

"No, I cannot allow this." said Princess Celestia.

"But princess, I assure you it would only be for one week." said Summerset. "And then I would have them shipped straight back to you."

"My answer is still 'no'." said Princess Celestia. "You see, I just cannot take any unnecessary risks with the Elements of Harmony. If I were to let even one of the Elements to fall into the wrong hands, I could put all of Equestria in peril."

"True." said Summerset. "But still, I would very much like a memento to take from my visit."

"A memento?" Celestia repeated wearily.

Mr. Summerset looked around the throne room, until he set his eyes on...

"Ah, that mirror over there!" said Mr. Summerset, pointing across the room.

"What about it?" asked Celestia.

"I think I would like to take it!" said Summerset.

Princess Celestia recognized the mirror and gasped in horror: The Crystal Mirror! The very mirror that Sunset Shimmer went through on the night she abandoned her studies.

"No!" she said, uncomfortably loudly.

"Is it money that you would like?" asked Mr. Summerset. "Fine. I will give you two thousand bits for the mirror."

"No."

"Ten thousand?"

"No!"

"Two hundred thousand! A million, even!"

"Mr. Summerset, I respect you and your work very much, but I want you to understand that I will never give that mirror to you." said Princess Celestia. "Not for all the money in the world."

"And what would something as simple as a mirror mean to you, princess?" asked Mr. Summerset.

"I'm afraid your visit to my castle has come to a close, Mr. Summerset." said Celestia. "I suggest you leave now, or I will have Captain Star Shield escort you out."

Summerset bowed his head, and spoke.

"I honor your decision, princess, and this meeting." he said. "It has been a wonderful opportunity to meet you, your majesty."

And then he reluctantly turned to leave.

PRESENT DAY...

"I didn't want to tell Summerset where Sunset Shimmer really was, nor why the mirror was so important, because I was not only afraid that letting the Crystal Mirror fall into the wrong hands would put Sunset Shimmer, but even all of Equestria, in great danger." Princess Celestia concluded her story.

"So, you still cared about Sunset back then, even after she ran out on you?" asked Lightning Dust.

"Mm-hmm." said Celestia, whose eyes just barely began to water.

"So that's why you had the mirror moved to the Crystal Empire:" deduced Princess Luna. "So that Mr. Summerset wouldn't come back here to look for it."

"That is correct, Luna." said Celestia.

"But why didn't you let Summerset in on the secret?" asked Lightning Dust. "If this guy's a friend of Sunset Shimmer's dad, maybe he could've helped out?"

"Because I had suspicions about Summerset in the past." said Princess Celestia. "Though he is successful as a businesspony, I don't think his heart was in the right place. He was more self-centered than he let on. Greedy, even. I have a feeling he even knew the magical properties of the Crystal Mirror, and wanted it harness it for himself."

"Well, wanting to spend a million on a mirror does seem like a weird idea." said Lightning.

"Celestia, I must feel concerned once more for my student's safety." said Princess Luna. "Especially since she is apparently going to visit Las Pegasus for a holiday this week."

"You're right, Luna." said Celestia. "Oh, but she's probably already left by now."

"Do either of you know what way Sunset might've went? I could intercept her if you want!" offered Lightning Dust.

"I'm afraid I don't know for certain." said Luna.

"Neither do I." said Celestia.

"Then could I maybe fly over to Las Pegasus to meet her there?" asked Lightning. "I could get there in less than a day! I'm one of the fastest fliers in all of Equestria!"

"A good idea, Lightning Dust." said Luna.

"But I think we should give Sunset the benefit of a doubt." said Celestia. "She's dealt with all kinds of dangers and obstacles in the past, and pulled through. Summerset might not even be looking for her specifically. And I think it would be rude to barge in on her vacation just because of some crime spree."

"Well, I'd like to go over to Las Pegasus, anyway." said Lightning. "Sunset is my best friend, after all. I think I owe it to her to spend a little time with her after being away for so long. And if there is trouble waiting for her, I'll be there to bust her out!"

"Then I approve of this, Lightning Dust." said Princess Celestia.

"Consider this a special mission, Lightning Dust." said Luna. "I am placing you directly responsible for my student's safety! You are to make sure nothing happens to her in Las Pegasus! Do you understand?"

"Yes, your majesty!" saluted Lightning. "I'll accept this responsibility, and will see to it that Sunset Shimmer is okay!"

Nose Nip led Scarlet Blaze and Frosty to a boathouse on the docks at Vanhoover.

"Well, we could've just waited tomorrow for that cruise ship to be ready." said Nose Nip.

"I don't want to wait that long, and it would be too slow." said Scarlet. "Are you sure this boat of yours will be sea-worthy?"

"Sure!" said Nose Nip. "My dad used it all the time when catching fish out at sea!"

"And we even had some friends in town make a couple-a modifications to it, too!" said Frosty. "It's got the fastest motor in this part of Equestria!"

The three went inside, where a polished white and red fishing boat with a sail and a motor was docked.

"You like it?" asked Frosty.

"Yes, it's amazing!" Scarlet made a toothy grin. "Just what we're gonna need!"

The three got on board, and detached the ropes holding the boat in place. Nose Nip lifted the anchor out of the water, and tugged on the motor's cord with his teeth. The motor roared like a dragon and the fishing boat shot out of the boathouse and into the sun-drenched waters. Once the boat came to a stop, Scarlet used her telekinesis to tie her mane back, and then levitated a pair of mirrored sunglasses over her eyes, and a map of Equestria out of her purse.

"Okay, boys!" said Scarlet. "Take this thing due South! We should make it to Las Pegasus by tomorrow night! So make it happen!"

"Aye-aye, captain!" Nose Nip saluted, turning the boat left.

"One speed boost comin' up!" Frosty used his horn to telekinetically tug on the cord.

And then the boat shot through the water like a torpedo, Frosty just barely catching himself from falling overboard by the sudden boost of speed.

"Whoooooo!" Frosty shouted as soon as he was back on-board. "Las Pegasus, here we come!"

The Assault on Summerset Tower, Part 2

Mr Yellow slowly got back up. His face was hurting, and he couldn't quite remember why. He felt sharp fragments of something underneath his yellow-and-black tracksuit. He clutched his necklace, and found that the talisman he wore on it was broken to pieces, and its fragments were scattered within his suit. He took off the suit, and recognized the fragments.

"Oh, boy." he said. "I gotta find those other talismans! There's no telling what trouble the others are making!"

"Please, Summerset!" said Sunset Shimmer. "I don't wanna have to fight you!"

"Then you shouldn't have gotten in my way, Miss Shimmer." said Lionel Summerset.

"But I couldn't care less what you do with the city of Las Pegasus!" said Sunset. "I just want my father back!"

"Ah, there's nothing like wanting a father to love you, now is there?" said Summerset. "I'm afraid I'm going to need Golden Sun to work for me. Ruling a business empire isn't easy. Now, let's go on with this duel. Ladies first."

Sunset's horn glowed, and she fired a beam of magical energy at Summerset, who quickly dodged it. Then he ascended into the air, and swooped down at Sunset, slashing his blade. But Sunset was able to teleport away just in time. She reappeared at the far end, standing on top of a map of Saddle Arabia.

"Mr. Summerset, I really don't wanna hurt you." said Sunset. "It's just not in me to fight to the death!"

"It is in me, though." said Summerset. "If you don't want to fight me, then that's simply too bad. This is your chance to defend yourself, Sunset Shimmer."

He quickly shot up to Sunset and slashed his blade again, but Sunset teleported once more.

"Running away is not the same as defending yourself." said Summerset. "You're supposed to actually hit me back."

Sunset reappeared, and fired another magic blast from her horn, pushing Summerset against a wall. The Saddle Arabian pegasus got back up, brushing dust off his bronze fur. Then he launched himself through the air, and grappled with Sunset just as she teleported out of the room.

"We've got to help her!" said Lightning Dust.

"Right." nodded Trixie.

"Not so fast!" said Mr. Red. "You two interfere, and I'll break you in half."

"Why don't you try me on for size!" shouted a voice.

A door nearby was knocked down, and Daring Do sped through the air to tackle Mr. Red. Trixie and Lightning Dust joined in. They fought on, until Mr. Yellow made it to the top of the stairwell and entered Mr. Summerset's display room.

"Hey!" he shouted to Daring Do, who was grappling with Mr. Red and trying her best to hold her enemy in place.

Daring Do turned.

"Lightning, get him!" she shouted.

"With pleasure!" said Lightning, who shot towards the newcomer.

"Wait!" said Mr. Yellow. "You don't understand!"

Lightning stopped a few inches from Mr. Yellow.

"What are you talking about?" asked Lightning.

"He's wearing a talisman around his neck, and it's brainwashing him!" Mr. Yellow pointed at Mr. Red. "If you destroy it, he'll stop attacking you!"

"Right!" said Lightning.

Lightning Dust flew swiftly to Daring Do's side, and whispered what Mr. Yellow told her. Daring nodded, and narrowed her eyes. She pushed Mr. Red back into the statue of King Sombra, and grabbed him by the scruff of his collar. She took out the talisman he was wearing, and gasped.

"I've seen this before!" said Daring Do. "This is one of the Talismans of the Ram King!"

She tugged on the talisman, set it against the ground, and then pounded it with her hoof, shattering it. Mr. Red groaned, and put a hoof against his head.

"Why am I hurting all over?" said Maximum Velocity, breaking from his trance. "What in Equestria's going on here?"

"You were under the influence of that talisman you wore around your neck." said Daring Do. "I destroyed it, and broke the spell it had on you."

"But what have I been doing?" asked Maximum. "It can't have been anything good!"

"You've been working for a corrupt mogul in Las Pegasus named Lionel Summerset." said Mr. Yellow.

"Who are you?" asked Maximum.

"Thunder Lee." said Mr. Yellow. "I used to be a stuntpony working in Applewood before Summerset brainwashed me. Now, we've got to stop him! He's plotting to do something with this city!"

"Then let's not waste time!" said Maximum Velocity, taking off his red clothing and glasses.

Mr. Blue fired a spell at Scarlet Blaze, knocking her against the wall.

"Mom, are you okay?!" said Radiant Dawn, rushing to her side.

"I'm fine, son." said Scarlet, getting back up. "Your father always was the better spellcaster."

"Well, let's see if I'm better than him!" said Radiant Dawn.

He galloped towards Mr. Blue, firing spells at him as he went and then tackling him.

"C'mon, dad!" grunted Radiant as he held Mr. Blue down. "Don't you remember me? I'm your son! I'm Radiant Dawn!"

Mr. Blue turned his head to face Radiant, as if he was taking a moment to study his face.

"See?" said Radiant. "You do remember!"

"I don't care if you are my son!" said Mr. Blue. "Nopony messes with my boss! Not even you!"

Then he fired a magical blast that struck Radiant in the face, causing him to fall over to the floor in pain.

"What has gotten into you?!" said Scarlet. "This is not how you should be acting! You're kind, gentle, and polite! What's making you act this way!"

The green swirly light in Mr. Blue's eyes flickered and he hesitated.

"Talisman...magic talisman." he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" said Scarlet.

Then the green light reappeared.

"Well, it seems something slipped my mind again." Mr. Blue said. "Now where was I again? Oh, yeah. Getting rid of you two!"

"No!"

Scarlet ran up and pounced him like a tigress.

"Whatever's controlling you, dear..." she growled. "You've got to fight it!"

"The only thing I need to fight is you two!" said Mr. Blue, whose horn started to glow vividly.

"Don't you even remember me?" said Scarlet. "Don't you remember the day we met? In that club in Baltimare? Don't you remember our wedding? Or that we had children--two beautiful children--together?"

"Not at all." said Mr. Blue. "And I'm happy not having to worry about that! Having a family would get in the way of my job! I'm going to only say this once more:"

The green light flickered again.

"Help!" Mr. Blue mouthed to Scarlet.

Then the light returned.

"Get off of me!" he shouted aggressively.

He blasted Scarlet back, and then galloped to the next stairwell.

"We can't let him get away!" shouted Radiant, as he and Scarlet chased after him.

They chased him stairwell after stairwell, and floor after floor until they reached the 15th floor. There, they found Mr. Summerset and Sunset Shimmer grappling with each other on top of a table, having teleported several times throughout the building.

"Hey! Get your hooves off of my sister!" yelled Radiant at the top of his lungs, galloping madly towards Summerset and leaping at him.

Radiant knocked Summerset off the table and the two engaged in a duel. Scarlet rushed to Sunset, who was laying on the floor.

"Sunset, are you okay?" she said to her daughter.

"I'm all right, mom." said Sunset. "How's it going on getting dad back to normal?"

"Not good at all." said Scarlet.

"You two go find him!" Radiant shouted at Sunset and Scarlet. "I'll fight Summerset."

"My fight is with Sunset Shimmer!" said Summerset.

"Yeah? Well now you're dealing with her brother!" said Radiant. "You wanna fight Sunset, you gotta get through me first!"

"Sounds fair to me." said Summerset. "I still have the honor of battling another Saddle Arabian."

"Go on, you two!" said Radiant. "Find dad!"

Scarlet Blaze and Sunset Shimmer quickly rushed to the next stairwell, climbed it, and came out on the 17th floor. There, Mr. Blue was looking around for Mr. Summerset.

"Great." said Mr. Blue, disappointed. "You again. And it looks like you brought somepony else with you!"

"Daddy, please stop this!" yelled Sunset. "Snap out of it!"

"I'm just fine!" said Mr. Blue. "Or I will be, once I get rid of you and the rest of my so-called family!"

He fired a blast of magical energy at Sunset, who teleported away and reappeared next to him.

"Dad, I really don't wanna fight you!" she said.

"Leave me alone!" said Mr. Blue.

Mr. Blue jumped at Sunset and started punching at her. Sunset's horn glowed, and she fired a beam of energy at Mr. Blue, pushing him back a few yards and damaging his suit. This revealed a strange pendant of some kind that was dangling from his neck.

"That has to be the thing controlling him!" said Scarlet.

"Right." nodded Sunset.

She ran towards Mr. Blue, and then tackled him. She struggled to seize the talisman around Mr. Blue's neck, but he pulled himself away from her.

"I'm sorry for this!" said Sunset, whose horn glowed again.

She unleashed a massive blast of magic, which sent Mr. Blue flying through the wall, crashing into the floor of the next room over, and leaving a crater in the floor tiles.

"I hope he's okay." said Sunset.

"Me, too." said Scarlet.

They approached him, their horns glowing cautiously. Sunset noticed that the talisman that Mr. Blue was wearing was shattered on the floor between them. She could also hear sobbing, and it was coming from Mr. Blue.

"Dad?" asked Sunset, uncertainly as she approached him.

Golden Sun lifted his head, showing the tears streaming from his silvery-blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry!" he whimpered. "I didn't mean what I did!"

Sunset felt her own eyes watering. She galloped up to her father and put her hooves around him.

"Daddy, you're back!" she bawled. "I missed you so much!"

Golden Sun hugged his daughter back, still sobbing.

"Sunset, is it really you?" he asked.

"Yes, dad." said Sunset. "It's me. Your baby girl!"

"Why, you've grown so much!" he said, surprised.

"Heh, heh." Sunset started to calm. "Me? I've grown? You should see Radiant."

Scarlet approached her daughter and husband.

"Scarlet!" Golden Sun said. "I'm back to normal again! It's me! I'm your husband again!"

Scarlet bent over, and nuzzled against her husband, her eyes watery.

"I'm so happy to see you alive and well again, dear..." she said.

"The feeling's mutual, my love!" said Golden Sun. "When I cast that spell and it rebounded on you, I thought I might have...well, you know. If there's any way I can--"

"Mom? Dad?" said Sunset. "There's something we gotta do! Radiant's fighting Summerset downstairs! We gotta help him!"

"Right!" said her parents at once.

Breaching Fort Echidna, Part 1

"But where did all these other guys come from?" Radiant Dawn asked Royal Commander Firewing. "The Royal Guard doesn't normally recruit zebras or gryphons into its ranks."

"They came from several places." said Firewing. "Some of those gryphons were mercenaries from the Griffin Kingdom, others were former outlaws that decided that they would make a larger profit working for us. The zebras were from a tribe that was at war with one of its rivals in their homeland. We managed to convince them that serving alongside us would be more fruitful and efficient than staying in their grasslands and tormenting tribes weaker than them. It was especially helpful that the tribe was no friend of Equestria to begin with."

"And the pony soldiers?" asked Radiant.

"They were members of my own elite battalion." said Firewing. "That, and some young fools that thought working for us would be more exciting than joining the actual Royal Guard."

"By the way, do you guys have a name for yourselves, or do you just call yourselves 'the renegades'?"

"We do have a name, actually:" said Firewing. "We are the Neo-Templars of Equestria. And we serve Equestria the way we believe it should be served. Not the fool-hardy, overly-merciful way that you've been raised to believe under the rule of those accursed princesses!"

"And the way you believe it should be served is blowing stuff up, slaughtering others in cold-blood, and acting like savages."

"Our brutal, heavy-handed nature is an unfortuate side effect of completely cutting ourselves off from Equestria's 'society', and merging so many different cultures into the same faction." said Firewing. "But that was hardly my doing at all. If it were all up to me, the templars would be a lot more civilized. That's why I want you to join me."

"What?" said Radiant, wide-eyed.

"Before I seceded from the Royal Guard, I learned of your ability to get Princess Luna's bat-ponies to obey your commands." said Firewing. "An impressive feat, not often seen outside of royalty. If you were to join us, you could use those skills to turn those templars into the civilized, elite soldiers they were meant to be."

"Me? Be a templar?" said Radiant. "No bucking way. I actually like being one of the princesses' subjects."

"Your sister didn't seem to think so." said Firewing.

"Yeah, well my sister came back, anyway!" said Radiant. "Because she knew her place was back in Equestria all along! And I bet even when she was at her worst, she was a way better pony than you probably ever were!"

Firewing was not amused.

"Such a naive fool." he muttered.

"I know you are, but what am I?" countered Radiant, snidely.

"A stallion whose loyalty to his precious princesses will surely be his downfall." said Firewing. "I think we've discussed enough tonight. And let's just hope that your comrades behave better than you, or I might have them executed."

"Whatever you do to us, the princesses will find out and you'll go down faster than a raindrop."

"You think I didn't anticipate this?" asked Firewing, turning his head. "I've taken precautions for that sort of occasion. You'll see, soon enough."

Firewing left the cell, which was locked tight by a gryphon templar.

Sunset Shimmer, Felix Summerset, and King Craw were standing atop a cliff overlooking a massive fortress that looked as if it had been abandoned for years.

"Home sweet home." said King Craw. "Or at least, that's what it should be for me."

"This place looks deserted." said Felix. "Are you certain we will find these renegades here?"

"Positive." said Craw.

"But why don't we see any?" asked Felix.

"Because they wouldn't want you to see them." said Craw. "On the surface, this just looks like an old ruined fort. But beneath the surface, there are many underground networks. That is the real stronghold of these renegades."

"You didn't tell us that part!" said Sunset.

"You never asked, my dear." Craw grinned.

"But if these guys don't operate on the surface level of the fort, then where's the real entrance." asked Sunset.

"You're a smart pony, Sunset Shimmer." said Craw. "I'm sure you can figure it out. As for me, I'm sorry to say that I must take my leave...my lady."

Suddenly, there were the sounds of drums and tribal chanting in the air. Several dark pony-shapes emerged from the ground nearby.

"Intruders!" shouted a voice. "Kill them!"

"Blast!" said King Craw. "I didn't expect this to happen! Look's like my plan's going to have to change!"

He looked around, and saw a small cave with a river flowing from it near the fort.

"In there!" said Craw, to Felix and Sunset, pointing at the cave. "Hurry!"

Sunset nodded, and teleported there straight to the entrance. Felix saw this, and shot straight for the entrance as well, followed closely by Craw. The three disappeared into the dark cave, just as the templars reached their original position. The renegade officer, a zebra with an eyepatch stopped at the entrance.

"Whoever these fools are, they don't seem to realize that cave's a dead-end!" he said.

He turned to a large, muscular earth pony templar that dwarfed even the average Saddle Arabian in a mixture of tribal garb and modern camouflaged fatigues.

"Juggsman, go in there and bring them to me, dead or alive!" the zebra officer said.

"With pleasure, boss!" said Juggsman, with a southern accent, turning to two other templars. "You two, come wit me! We gonna have lotsa fun tonight!"

The three templars went into the cave, and faded into the shadows. There were loud sounds of fighting and sparks of light indicating the use of magic. After five minutes, Juggsman emerged from the cave, carrying Sunset Shimmer and Felix Summerset on his back, both unconscious.

"Whew-ee!" said Juggsman, who was wiping muddy water off his face. "I got 'em, boss!"

"Weren't there three of them?" asked the zebra. "Where's the third? And where are the other two that went with you?"

"Dead, unfortunately." said Juggsman. "And the third wouldn't come quietly...so I had ta rip 'im apart. Sure was nasty, I'd give ya that much! Blood and guts everywhere! Like the day I was born! What'dya wan' wit' these two now?"

"Take them back to the fort, and Firewing will interrogate them."

"Roger, dodger!" said Juggsman, raising his long, thick hoof in a salute.

Suddenly, he retched, and a sticky green-and-red bile spilled out of his mouth.

"Juggsman, have you been overeating again?" asked the zebra.

"Well, I gotta get meat on these here bones!" Juggsman grinned, revealing his hideously stained teeth.

"There are many strange creatures in our world, Juggsman." said the zebra. "And you are by far the most disgusting."

"I do my best!" guffawed Juggsman. "Now, let's get these two inside!"

Glitch was on the look-out for the squad of royal guards. He was rattling his head nonsensically when he noticed fighting in the forest, not too far from his hiding place. He quickly flew back to the other members of the Changeling Elite, and shouted:

"I got a problem in those woods." he said.

"Is it the guards?" asked the Changeling officer.

"Better be." said Glitch. "Cuz I was gonna open a book about sharks that eat nachos for dessert and then play showtunes on the piano."

"What?" said the officer, confused. "Actually, never mind. I don't want to bother. Soldiers, they're here!"

The other Changelings sprang out of their hiding places, just as five royal guards and two Shadowbolts were fleeing out opf the forest away from a group of pony and zebra soldiers in strange armor.

"Those must be the renegades!" said the officer, referring to the latter group. "Changeling Elite, scramble!"

Silver Shadow, Skywater, Sky Boom, and a few other guards and Shadowbolts were trying their best to evade the darts being fired at them from the renegades' blowguns. All they could do at this time was run until they either escaped the templars' range and sight, or they found help.

Suddenly, there was a series of green flashes in the forest, and the templars chasing and shooting at them were knocked to the ground. They staggered back up, and fled. A squad of armored Changelings dropped down from the trees.

"Gorgon!" said the presumed leader.

"Medusa--I mean, Basilisk!" said Silver Shadow.

"Good to see you were able to make it all this way." said the Changeling leader. "Commander Grubb, Changeling Elite."

"Never though I'd be so relieved to see you guys." said Silver Shadow.

"I hope you aren't the only guards that the princesses sent to help us." said Grubb. "Otherwise, we'd might as well do all the work ourselves."

"No." said Silver. "I'm not even the commanding officer. We were all separated when the renegades ambushed us. They took some of our own captive, and even killed some of the other guards. I don't know how many of us are even left."

"Their darts have cyanide mixed in their poison." said Skywater. "I'm not kidding!"

Grubb looked at the spot where they blasted at the renegades, and inspected the ground. They were a couple of blowguns and a bag of darts lying in the grass.

"Interesting." he said. "These could be useful, both as weapons, and as evidence. We should take these into Baltimare to see if anyone there would know about them."

"There's a workshop at the University of Baltimare." said Silver Shadow. "Maybe someone there could help us find out what the blowguns are made of and even where they were made. Once we do, we can get help from the Baltimare garrison of the Royal guard, track down the renegades and save our captured comrades. If any of the others escape the renegades, they'd be heading to Baltimare, too."

The Changeling Elite all burst into shimmering green flames and emerged as civilian ponies.

"Lead on, then." said Grubb, disguised as a lime-green pegasus with a brown mane.

Pressure Point was walking around the Summerstar, which was currently flying over a river, en route to Baltimare. As he looked around in awe, he couldn't help but feel a sensation of disbelief at what he was experiencing.

"I give up, just how did a bunch of second-rate ponyfolk get their hooves on a luxurious airship like this?" Pressure wondered aloud. "I knew Sunset Shimmer's family was wealthy, but I didn't think they could afford this kind of airship!"

"Like it?" said Teddy, who came up to talk to Pressure in the corridor. "We got this in Las Pegasus."

"Did you win a bet or something?" asked Pressure.

"Now, this thing belonged to a pony named Lionel Summerset." said Teddy.

"Summerset?" repeated Pressure. "Well, I guess that explains things. Summerset's supposed to be one of the wealthiest ponies in Equestria. I'd sell my soul to be as rich and powerful as him. So did he lend it to you, or..?"

"Nah." said Teddy. "He tried killing all of us with it, so he got arrested and sent to jail. So we decided to take it as our own and fly it around wherever."

"Well, as much as I'd hate to admit it..." said Pressure. "Sunset Shimmer is full of surprises."

Scarlet Blaze came into the hallway.

"Hello, doctor." she said to Pressure. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I guess so, ma'am." said Pressure.

"Well, you two better get ready." said Scarlet. "Nose Nip says that we should arrive in Baltimare in three hours."

"Got it." said Teddy.

"Me, too." said Pressure. "I guess."

Welcome to Saddle Arabia, Part 1

The sun was beginning to rise, but nopony felt like sleeping anymore. They (except for Nose Nip, who was obligated to continue flying them to Saddle Arabia) were all in the lounge area, all talking about what they saw. Most of them seemed to be glaring at Felix.

"So, Felix..." said Frosty. "Why didn'tcha tell us dat Saddle Arabia had birds da size of a friggin' high-rise building?!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect to see one of them!" said Felix Summerset.

"Didn't expect one of what?" demanded Sunflower Seed.

The ponies were arguing even louder and louder, until a flash of light from Sunset Shimmer's horn made them all stop.

"Look, let's give Felix the benefit of a doubt, okay?!" she said to her friends and family. "I bet he didn't expect that bird or the shadow-ponies to show up. But I think the more urgent thing to talk about is the shadow-ponies, since they're the ones that nearly killed all of us."

"Do you think they were sent to kill us by King Nelphyn?" asked Felix.

"I doubt it." said Sunset. "If that were the case, I think King Nelphyn would want to waste no time with us and just send something to blow up the airship. I actually think the shadow-ponies were either a random patrol, a coincidence, or a trap meant for somepony else."

"For who else?" asked Radiant Dawn. "The bird?"

"I doubt they were meant for the bird, since they all fled before the bird even came close to the Summerstar." said Sunset. "I'm thinking that Nelphyn expected Princess Celestia to send help to Saddle Arabia, whether or not the Neo-Templars were dealt with. and had a few things laying in wait for any royal guards headed overseas."

"Dat makes sense." said Frosty. "But still, there's one thing I don't get: there were only four of those shadow-pony things that got on board the Summerstar, yet just a few minutes later, dere's a whole army of 'em!"

"They seem to be able multiply where ever they leave their shadows." said Pressure Point. "I don't understand it either, but--"

"Ha! Dat's da dumbest thing I evuh heardd!" laughed Sunflower.

"Well, Miss Seed", if you have a more logical explanation for why more and more of them seem to show up, let's hear it!" said Pressure Point. "I know it doesn't make sense either, but then again: I'm an expert on medical care, not obscure magical creatures!"

But Sunflower had nothing else to say.

"Which brings us back to the other question:" said Scarlet Blaze. "Felix, are there any legends of folktalkes about the bird that we all saw? Because I know it was too big to be a phoenix."

"Actually, I do think there was a legend about that creature." said Felix. "It is known as the..."

"Roc." said Maud Pie.

"We geddit, Maud!" said Frosty. "Ya like rocks! Now will ya shut up about 'em for just one--"

"No." Maud said, holding up a book. "I'm saying the bird we saw is called the Roc. R-O-C. It says so in this book."

Sunset Shimmer recognized the book as 1,001 Saddle Arabian Nightmares, the book she was reading back in Canterlot.

"Maud, thank you!" said Sunset as she levitated the book back to her. "But what were you doing reading that book, anyway? I didn't think Saddle Arabian legends would suit someone like you."

"I thought that maybe I'd find a few things about the rocks in Saddle Arabia from reading the stories inside." said Maud. "And I thought the entry on 'Roc' meant an actual rock. You can read it if you want, but you won't find too much about rocks in it."

Maud trotted around, looking for Boulder.

"I'll keep that in mind." Sunset said, before proceeding to read the entry Maud described:

The Roc, long believed to be the last of an ancient race of giant birds-of-prey, is rumored to fly over the deserts of Saddle Arabia, looking for prey. The last known sighting of this creature was over five hundred years ago, making it unlikely that the creature still exists today, although recent discoveries on mountain-tops and cliffsides of abandoned nests that span twenty yards in diameter suggest otherwise. Also, reports of long, deep lines made in the sands of the desert, believed to be made by the talons of large birds have consistently been received for decades. Regardless, though, no sighting of the bird itself have ever been made.

"No sightings in five centuries?" Frosty scoffed. "Who do they think they're foolin'? We all saw that thing!"

"Maybe it's the Roc, but maybe not." said Sunset. "I remember reading in Daring Do and the Storm Tower that Daring encountered giant Thunderbirds while exploring the Badlands."

"I know what a Thunderbird is..." said Crimson Blade. "I've seen many pictures and read many documents about them. But what we saw looked very little like a Thunderbird, but I can't say it was this so-called 'Roc', either. It could've just been an elaborate illusion for all we know."

"Well, whatever the hoof it is, I think we better get that Gatling Gun set-up in case the bird returns." said Frosty.

"And get ourselves ready for Saddle Arabia." said Radiant Dawn. "I bet that little rocket-boost we had cut our flight-time short."

"Well, don't worry about that." said Frosty. "Come with me, everypony!"

Frosty led the others to the armoury door, and opened it up, revealing a room that, to the complete surprise of everypony else, was fully-stocked. There was body armor of both metal and kevlar, lined up along the walls, barrels of gunpowder in the back, and spears, batons, halberds, blowguns, pipe-bombs, and slings piled on the shelves.

"What--where did all this stuff come from?" asked Sunset, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, I didn't see any of this when we took off!" said Lightning Dust.

"Well, Nips and I did some last-minute scrounging 'round that old fort while the rest of you guys was chattin' up a storm with Princess Luna." said Frosty. "The armoury was almost empty when we came to save ya, Sunset, so we didn't want to need somethin' and not have it and decided it'd be better to have it and not need it. Of course, wantin' it's a different story! But yeah, this is all the stuff we were able ta get right before we took off."

"You and Nose Nip were able to get all that stuff in that short a timespan onto the Summerstar and stored in the armoury all without any of us seeing?" asked Radiant.

"That's right." said Frosty. "It wasn't all the stuff we were able to find. There were still tons of other things those templars had that we could've brought aboard if we had just a couple more minutes to do so."

"Why didn'tcha say anything when those shadow-ponies attacked us?" asked Sunflower.

"Um...I kinda forgot about it." Frosty scratched his head.

Radiant went into the armoury and inspected the inventory. He sighed.

"Frosty, you're lucky you're my friend and that we have a situation of our own, or I'd have to arrest you for this." he said.

"Oh, quit kiddin' around, man." chuckled Frosty.

"I'm serious about this." said Radiant. "You and Nose Nip both smuggled an enormous amount of illegal weapons and armor onto a civilian transport."

"Civilian transport?" asked Frosty. "This blimp already had a cannon mounted on it! And if ya don't remember, it was used to shoot shells down at us!"

"Nevertheless, you pretty much put contraband on this airship without the permission of a guard. I think I ought to arrest you for this right now."

"Wha--what?!" Frosty said, panicking as Radiant glared at him.

But Radiant started to chuckle,

"Gotcha, Frosty." he smiled. "Don't worry, I was just messing around. As if I'd try arresting someone right now, let alone one of my best friends in all of Equestria."

Frosty sighed in relief. Suddenly, there was a loud buzzing and Nose Nip's voice came over the loudspeakers.

"Hey, this is your pilot speaking! We're approaching dry land. And it looks like we're coming close to a settlement, so get yourselves ready to go."

At noon, the Summerstar touched down near a small port-town on the western shores of Saddle Arabia. Sunset Shimmer and the others were getting clothing that was suitable for the hot, arid environment of the Saddle Arabian desert. Before Sunset herself went down the ramp, she was approached by Felix, who was wearing his paladin garb with his wings tucked underneath.

"Miss Sunset, I wanted to give you something." he said to her.

He dropped a bundle in front of Sunset, which she promptly opened and levitated its contents. It was a black cloak just her size.

"Captain Armor gave it to me just before we all left for Saddle Arabia." Felix explained. "Along with this note."

He gave her a piece of paper, which she read:

Ms. Sunset Shimmer,

This is the cloak you wore when you first met my sister in the Crystal Empire. I heard that you planned on going to Saddle Arabia, so I asked my wife Princess Cadence to enchant it. It will allow its wearer to adapt to any environment and it will protect you from various magical enchantments, which should be useful if for some reason you aren't able to wear armor or you find armor uncomfortable. There are also a few other changes made to it by the other princesses that you might find useful, especially for your mission overseas. I don't have time to list them all, but I'm sure a smart unicorn like you will be able to find out when the time they're needed arrives.

Sincerely,
Prince Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard

"Wow." said Sunset Shimmer, softly. "Thanks a lot, Shining Armor. Well, I guess I ought to put this on...again."

She levitated her old cloak onto her body, and even put the hood up. She and Felix went off the ramp to meet the others.

"Nice cloak, Sunset." said Lightning Dust, who was wearing a gold-and-silver outfit. "Very mysterious."

"I have a cloak just like that one!" said Trixie.

She levitated it out of her saddle-bag, and put it on her, putting the hood up. It was virtually identical to Sunset Shimmer's, except it had a slight bluish tint. She went next to Sunset and leaned against her.

"Now we look like we could be sisters!" Trixie said, amused.

"You know, I kind of agree." said Scarlet, chuckling as she wore her own hooded green outfit with matching shoes.

Sunset gently nudged Trixie away, and put her hood back down. She looked around at the nearby port. Its buildings were made of stone, but with wooden doors. Their architecture was similar to that seen in various cities and towns in Equestria, yet in other ways was largely distinct and Arabesque. As Sunset and her friends all embarked from the Summerstar to head into town, a group of armored ponies, both normal sized and of Saddle Arabian height, approached them. Their silver armor was similar in style to that worn by the Canterlot Royal Guard, except fuller along the neck, legs, and hooves, and their faces were obscured by steel-plated masks to protect from the local weather. They also sported cloaks similar to those worn by Felix Summerset, and had javelins with iron tips slung on their backs.

"Greetings, travelers!" said one of the armored stallions. "Welcome to Saddle Arabia. You've arrived in the colony of New Mustangia. Our most noble Minister extends his invitations and seeks an audience with you all, so we would appreciate it if you'd follow us. If there is any equipment or luggage on your airship that needs unloading, we will gladly send somepony to handle them for you."

"Wow, now that's what I call service!" said Frosty, who was wearing a short grayish-green cape.

The Lost City of al-Duroc, Part 1

Teddy, Pressure Point, and Sunflower made it to the ramp of the airship, to find Frosty being attacked and chased by a flock of Rocs. As he was being chased, Frosty fired back various spells at the large birds of prey.

"What in Equestria?!" Pressure Point exclaimed.

"What's it look like?" shouted Frosty. "Get dese guys offa me!"

Sunflower galloped forward, leapt into the air, and then beat down on the head of one of the Rocs. The bird was sent hurdling to the ground, its head buried in the sand. The other Rocs saw this, and circled the mare.

"Bring it on, boidies!" Sunflower shouted to them. "Come down and fight me, ya dumb dodos!"

The Rocs all swooped down one at a time, and Sunflower unleashed a barrage of hoof-punches in the air to knock them out of the sky. But unfortunately, the birds all dodged each blow thrown at them. In seconds, Sunflower was too exhausted to continue fighting and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

The giant birds hovered closer to her, licking their beaks ravenously. Suddenly, a flare was shot across the air, and hit one of the birds in the stomach. It burst into flames, then dropped to the ground in a burning heap. The other Rocs looked on in surprise, and saw Teddy standing at the bottom of the ramp, holding a flare gun with a smoking barrel.

"Get away from my friends!" he shouted at them. "Or else..."

The Rocs cawed angrily, then wheeled around to face their next target. Teddy rushed towards the burning Roc, and brandished a small cylindrical object from the belt he was wearing. He put the object against the fire's causing a fuse on the end to emit sparks. Sunflower's eyes widened, and she gasped when she saw what it was.

"He's got a pipe-bomb!" she shouted. "Duck n' covuh!"

She rolled away, and Teddy threw the bomb at the Rocs. But one of them managed to grab it with its talons. But Teddy wasn't worried; in fact, he was grinning. Just as the Roc started to guffaw, the pipe-bomb detonated, obliterating its left talon and knocking it off its balance. It dropped a few feet, then flew away, screeching in pain.

"Nice one, Ted!" said Frosty. "Guess you ain't useless after all!"

The remaining four weren't daunted, though. In fact, they were even angrier than before.

"I've got these four!" said Pressure Point, whose horn started to glow.

The four Rocs were suddenly clamped together by what appeared to be a brace of magical aura, which ensnared them in an "X" formation. For a second, they were suspended in the air, then they spent hurdling a circular pattern that was synced with Pressure Point's own head movements. They spun faster and faster through the air around the four ponies, until they were shot into the starlit sky, never to be seen again.

"Thank Celestia that's over." said Pressure Point, sighing in relief.

"Doc, where'd ya learn a spell like that?" asked Frosty.

"You learn a lot of spells at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns." said Pressure. "That was just one of them."

"What now?" said Teddy, still exhausted.

"Well, I think we taught dose Rocs--" Sunflower said, as she approached the first Roc as it finally pulled its head out of the sand.

She bucked it on the head, causing it to fall over with a loud shriek.

"Not ta mess wit' us!" she continued. "So since they won't--" the Roc got back up. "Try anything with us anytime--" Sunflower casually hoof-punched it in the gut without even looking at it. "I think maybe we should check on the othuhs, ta see if they need help."

Frosty looked at the Roc, which was in the process of flying away, then fired a concussive spell to knock it out of the sky a hundred yards away.

"Uhh...I'm sure they're fine." said Frosty, waving a hoof casually.

He looked at the body of the second Roc, which was still on fire.

"So...anypony wanna make some S'mores?" he said aloud.

Crimson Blade climbed back to his hooves, from a stone-cold floor in an endless darkness.

"Anypony else still alive?!" Daring Do's voice called out.

Crimson's horn was lit, signaling that he was alive.

"I'm okay." replied Lightning Dust, who entered the radius of Crimson's aura. "But I can't find anyone else. Not even my Megamite."

"Then you'd better stick with us." said Daring Do, who dropped to the ground with Crimson and Lightning. "First, we've got to find out where we are."

Crimson's horn glowed even brighter, revealing their current location: a street of what looked like an ancient city. Even Daring Do, who had herself visited many lost cities, had never visited one as vast and preserved as this, let alone one so deep underground. The buildings were of an Ancient Egyptian-styled architecture, and at the center of the city was a giant pyramid.

"Who wants to bet that King Nelphyn's holed up in there?" Lightning said, once they saw the pyramid.

"It's very likely." said Crimson. "But we should try regrouping with the others first. We'll need all the help we can get down here."

"How'd we get down here anyway?" said Lightning Dust, looking up at the cavernous ceiling. "I don't see any shafts of light up there."

"That means that either the crevices sealed themselves up, or we're so far below the surface that the openings are barely visible." speculated Daring Do. "If we had Nose Nip or Maud anywhere, they could probably help us find a way out."

Bathilda the fruit-bat was fluttering around in the darkness underneath the plateau, searching for the ponies. Eventually, she was able to detect a single life-form on the rooftop of one of the subterranean buildings. However, to its dismay, it turned out to be the Megamite larva that Lightning Dust adopted. This annoyed Bathilda, since she didn't at all trust the arthropod. But since she had no choice but to work with her, she attempted communication. She squeaked inquisitively, but the larva yielded no valuable information. Instead, Bathilda gave up, and fluttered away. Then she came back when she noticed the Megamite larva wasn't going anywhere, and picked her up. The two then flew off to look for their owners.

Golden Sun and Nose Nip were climbing up the chasm towards the opening created by the falling rock.

"It's a good thing you had this climbing-equipment with you." said Golden Sun, who was hanging onto Nose Nip's back.

"Don't go..." Nose Nip grunted. "Anywhere...rocky...without 'em."

He stopped on a ledge and let Golden Sun off for a moment.

"You know, you're kinda heavy." Nose Nip panted. "Ever thought of going on a diet or something?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with my eating habits!" said Golden Sun, narrowing his eyes but scarcely raising his voice. "This is all baby-fat you see."

He tapped his chest with his front-left hoof.

"Well, whatever you wanna call it." shrugged Nose Nip. "But I guess it's not the most uncomfortable experience I had carrying stuff. I remember when me and my cousin Double Diamond were camping in the Smokey Mountains. He forgot his snowboard, so I had to carry the stupid thing up the mountain for him. Kept bumping into stuff, and almost lost balance climbing a few times."

"Did he at least say 'Thank you'?" asked Golden Sun.

"He said, and I quote:" Nose Nip continued in a stereotypical surfer type of voice. "'Totally gnarly, dude! Gotta shred some slopes now, dig?' So...no."

Golden Sun chuckled.

"Well, you wouldn't have to worry with me, because I travel light." he said, before adding: "When I can help it, anyway."

"Well, professor..." said Nose Nip. "What do you think we should do? Go back to the Summerstar? I bet that the others are probably already there, mourning us there by now."

Nose Nip and Golden Sun climbed up the chasm and finally reached what remained of the camp. There were cracks and signs of landslides every which way. A few weapons laid on the ground, but there were no bodies.

"Actually, it seems that the plateau gave way more than we could've anticipated." said Golden Sun. "This is only speculation, but it's possible that the ground may have collapsed in on itself, perhaps even burying the others several...meters underground."

"So you're saying we should find a way underground and dig them out?"

"It's certainly a recommended option." said Golden Sun. "But I must confess...umm, I really am not a digging kind of pony."

He shuddered.

Sunset Shimmer and her group looked around the chamber they were in. There were four large equine statues in Ancient Egyptian garb standing in the corners of the room. In the middle was a pedestal. There were also three doors: One on the Northern end of the room, and two on the Western end. Sunset got out her enchanted black cloak and passed Trixie her own.

"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Radiant Dawn, as he galloped around the chamber, checking all the doors. "All the doors are shut tight!"

He tried to fire a spell to blast the doors open, but a strange humming emitted from all around them, and the statues' eyes glowed red. Radiant Dawn strained himself as hard as he could, but nothing emerged from his horn.

"Magic's not working!" said Radiant. "What gives?!"

"My horn isn't working, either!" said Scarlet, whose horn was glowing but no spells were being cast.

"Great." sighed Sunset. "Here we go again."

"What a despicable room!" said Trixie. "Whoever bans the illustrious magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie will--"

"Everypony, calm down!" shouted Sunset, whose voice echoed throughout the room.

The others became silent.

"I don't know why our magic isn't working." Sunset said, as calmly as possible. "But it should be clear that we're supposed to find a way to escape this room without our magic. Now does anyone have any ideas?"

Trixie scoffed, and put up her cowl.

"Trixie has none." she said, still mildly annoyed. "If I had know that I--"

She tripped over something in the dark, and hit the ground with a loud CRASH!

"Who leaves a perfectly good statuette on the floor like this?!" she grumbled as she staggered back up.

"Statuette?" repeated Scarlet.

She illuminated Trixie, and noticed that there was what appeared to be a small statue-like apparatus on the floor near where Trixie fell over.

"Hey, maybe that's what we need!" Sunset said, beaming. "Trixie, you're a genius!"

"Oh, joy." snarked Trixie.

"Maybe if we put this statuette back on the pedestal, the doors will open and we can get out of here!" said Sunset. "That's how it works in the Daring Do books!"

"Well...duh!" said Trixie, rolling her eyes grabbing the statuette in her hooves.

She went up to the pedestal with an annoyed look on her hooded face.

"Wait, Trixie!" Sunset said quickly. "You should be careful when--"

But it was too late, and Trixie already put the statuette back on top of the pedestal. The whole room fell silent for a few seconds, but nothing happened.

"Sunset, you're my friend and I certainly like you..." said Trixie. "But the Great and Powerful Trixie thinks you need to rel--"

Suddenly, there was a deep growling all around them, and Trixie panicked and ran behind Sunset. The statues with the glowing red eyes were now moving!

"Well, this is going to be a pain." said Scarlet.